Still
by Yara Meijer
Summary: Stand's Sequel. Everything is in shatters. Kanashimi has been destroyed and players from various teams have been taken. Secrets go deeper than anyone ever expected, bonds are strained in ways never seen before and everything is falling apart. When every truth becomes a deceiving lie, does Raimon even stand a chance to save themselves and those they care about before it's too late?
1. In the Wake of Devastation

**Welcome, to the first chapter of Still, sequel to Stand.**

 **Thank you guys so much for the support you've shown me with my last fanfic. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed Stand, because I certainly had a blast while writing it~**

 **I will be responding on the reviews of Stand's last chapter here as well:**

 _ **Frwt:**_ **I'm glad you took the time to leave a review, it makes it so much better to write, even though you don't have any ideas for Still~!**

 _ **Coco Baldwin:**_ **I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for your idea and continued support~!**

 _ **The Symbol of Faith:**_ **I'm happy you enjoyed it… sorry for the large gaps between the updates, but I guess every writer understands the horror that is a writer's block :)**

 _ **NoLife-sama:**_ **That's one long review, gotta say it. It also made me smile reeeeaaaalllllyyyyy big when I read it~ About the OOC… well, I suppose everyone has a different opinion. Personally I'd say** _ **most**_ **characters weren't written** _ **too badly**_ **, but still not like in the anime. Though, with all my stories I'm working on, I've also realized how hard it is to make them like they really act – most things are just so hard to describe, and in the anime you never really hear what they're feeling, you just see it when they're happy or sad… I guess that's what makes it hard to write them, since you can only go from a smile here and there, the actions the characters take and the way their voices sound – which is not always very descriptive, I've gotta admit.  
I'm glad you liked the characters. Shinsuke is… well, not one of my favorites. I'm a bit neutral about him – he's a nice and important character, but there are others whom I am more focused on. That's probably why he didn't make a big appearance…  
Hahaha, Shindou's awesome! Though, after rewriting the series (for Accidental Reverse) I've realized how much he has grown through the series. Because seriously, he didn't start out so well, yet now I absolutely love him. I really had to laugh about the 'extraordinary ability to blame himself for just about everything that happens', because I hadn't realized that yet… he kind of does, huh? I mean, just look at when he awakens his Keshin. I love the little bro part! Sorry, I just can't help it but I just love the idea that Raimon has some kind of 'family-feeling', since they've gone through quite a lot together… Ahahaha, Jesus, huh? I guess I just imagined that Shindou had learned from all the times he ignored Tenma before (seriously, he does that quite often in my opinion) and now that there's something **_**really**_ **dangerous going on, I suppose he'd listen easier. And he didn't always listen, you know. When Taiyou told Raimon about Haru, for example…  
Hahaha, oh gosh I had to laugh so hard at the part about Haru. 'Not baddie-like'? XD I suppose he's not the classical bad guy. His point of view, huh… maybe I should pay some more attention to that here. I guess I didn't really focus on the whole 'feeling' thing, since the only moments you really read about that is during Tenma's absence and the reunion. That's just my opinion, though. Wowowow Haru's **_**not**_ **gonna die! O.O Why does everyone think that?! Seriously, my best friend Dyo-chan suggested the same thing! Yeah, Tenma and Haru are quite a good combo, aren't they?** **  
** **Thank you for this and I'll do my best to make Still good as well!**

 _ **Aquila Aqua:**_ **Glad you liked it~ thanks for that whole 'express, not impress' thing. It made me realize I had to stick to the original idea as well… so, I hope you enjoy this as well :)**

 _ **seshhxkagii99:**_ **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, I'm still working on the other fic as well…**

 _ **IeGBestfriend:**_ **Oh, you were the guest? Now that I think about it, it does contain a few clues that it's you… well, I suppose it's not really a problem, right? I wouldn't know how your name changed, though…  
Second review… ehehe… relax, no one's dying (yet). Hahaha, I like those moments between Mahoro and Housuiin as well XD Aw, Jirou appreciates your review and Kazuo is planning to use you for his next experiment, but Jirou won't let that happen, don't worry ;) Interrogating session… you know, you should become a police officer. Project Repressing… MUHAHAHA WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW?!  
Thanks for the very long third review, this one REALLY inspired me. And… I'm not sure if that's such a good thing for you readers (*grins wickedly*).  
Wow. You're mean to your younger sibling. I have an older sibling. I know how he feels. Older siblings are mean :) Nah just, kidding, I do love my older sibling… somewhere deeeeeeeeeeep inside my heart… XD  
Yeah, writing these chapters are good experience, I suppose. Oh, don't worry about being dramatic – people like that. I like that *winks*  
Thank you so much for all your ideas. Most of them I have included in the sequel or at least taken into account while creating a good plot. By the way, there will be some huge twists.  
Oh, I do have a Wattpad account. I think my username's Yarah001, but I just use the name Yara Meijer as well. I actually don't really use it… because I don't get it. I seriously don't -_- how does that site work?!  
That fight between Haru and Tenma… hmm, gotta think about that… it sounds interesting!  
By the way, about your ideas… they are **_**evil.**_ **I like it. You seem to want a lot of bad stuff to happen to Raimon, huh? Well, I've only got one thing to say, and that is: You have no idea what you've created. Still is definitely going to be darker than Stand :D**

 _ **Crazy-chan707:**_ **Hahaha, glad you think so highly of me! You know, about that torture…** _ **you will regret ever asking that.**_ **Because Still will be a bit darker than Stand (*wicked grin*) I am SO going to enjoy this, while you are** _ **not**_ **hehehehe… Hahaha, I'll keep Gouenji in mind, 'kay?**

 _ **StarBrightZorua:**_ **Hello~ yes, I do remember you, because your name reminds me of a Pokémon. I'm not sure if that was intended or not, though. I'm glad you liked the story yaaaaaaay~! I hope you enjoy this as well! Eh… sorry, I don't know about the ending yet… if it turns out to end well, I can just write a separate ending and put it in a one-shot or something? …wait, maybe I should really do that… gotta think about that…**

 **Guys, thank you for the reviews. Thank you so much.**

 **Disclaimer: don't own except the OCs and the plot, etc. etc. the usual~**

* * *

When You Were Standing in the Wake of Devastation

* * *

 **V** _ **oices… shouting… someone is screaming…**_

 **A** _ **lone in the darkness, yet… I can hear their breathing…**_

 **I** _ **n the void, someone… is calling to me…**_

 **N** _ **othing… I can't feel anything… see anything… hear anything…**_

 _ **.**_

 **D** _ **oes the pain… ever end?**_

 **E** _ **veryone is… giving in… how much longer can we keep this up?**_

 **L** _ **et me go… go away... I don't want to hurt anymore…**_

 **U** _ **sing… all the strength I've left, but it's not… enough…**_

 **S** _ **o much pain… the only thing I know now…**_

 **I** _ **can feel myself fading…**_

 **O** _ **ften I wonder… if this is the end… of everything…**_

 **N** _ **o one is here… to save us… will this torture ever stop?**_

 _ **.**_

* * *

 _ **KANASHIMI JR. HIGH BURNED TO THE GROUND**_

 _Yesterday evening, a devastating fire burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground. No victims have been reported as of yet but the director, Ishikawa Kazuo, is currently missing. He is thought to have been in the school when the fire broke out, but no details have been made public yet._

 _Teachers are currently unavailable for comment, but a representative of the police has ensured the public that all club activities were already finished during the time of the fire, so it is unlikely for any victims to have fallen among the students._

 _The cause of the fire is still unknown as of yet. Authorities are looking into the situation, but it is unclear if the fire was an accident or if someone deliberately caused it._

* * *

 _ **FOUNDERS KANASHIMI JR. HIGH MISSING**_

 _Ishikawa Kazuo, the director of the recently burned down Kanashimi Jr. High has been officially declared missing. He was last spotted by one of the teachers of the school, who passed his office to notify the director that all teachers had left the school after work, somewhere around four o'clock._

'' _Everything seemed normal when I left. Director Ishikawa was working in his office as usual. He has a habit of being the last one to leave, the man is dictated to the school! I don't remember if I saw his brother, who often helps director Ishikawa with his work, though,'' said the teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous._

 _Ishikawa Jirou, the younger brother of the director and one of the founders of the school, along with the director himself, is the coach of the soccer club. Various sources have confirmed that the coach often stays after the other staff members have already left to help his brother with his work._

 _The location of the coach is currently unknown as well. It is unclear if he was in school during the accident. Teachers and police are currently unavailable for comment about the two missing founders._

* * *

 _ **GAS LEAK CAUSE OF KANASHIMI FIRE?**_

 _Authorities are currently investigating the devastating fire that burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground five days ago. A representative of the police has announced that the suspected cause of the fire was a gas leak._

 _It is believed that a gas leak inside the school set off an explosion, which later resulted in a destructive fire. When firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread through the main building, where most of the classrooms were located, and was still spreading to the western and eastern wing._

'' _It's not confirmed, but the gas leak becomes more plausible with every passing day. We have mostly ruled out the possibility of deliberate sabotage, but since the fire had already destroyed so much when the firefighters arrived, it's hard to find real proof,'' said a representative of the police._

 _Citizens are requested to stay clear of the school terrain until further notice._

* * *

 _ **DETAILS KANASHIMI FIRE STILL UNKNOWN**_

 _Authorities are currently investigating the devastating fire that burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground last week. The director, Ishikawa Kazuo, is missing and thought to have died in the fire, but no body has been found as of yet. The teachers are looking for a place to act as temporary school, so that the students' education can continue, but they gave no comments when questioned about the current situation or the location of the missing staff._

 _The coach of the soccer club, Ishikawa Jirou, brother of the director, is currently unavailable. When parents of the members of the soccer club were asked about the whereabouts of their children, they informed us that the soccer club is currently on a training camp at a location that is hard to reach. Chances are that news of the school's demise has not yet reached them._

 _It is yet unknown what the cause was for the fire. It is believed to be the result of a gas leak which set off an explosion, later resulting in a destructive fire. The fire had already spread through the main building and was still spreading to the western and the eastern wing when firefighters arrived._

* * *

''We've got to do something! It's been a week already!'' the woman slams her fist down on the table. ''There haven't been any clues… they could be on the other side of the world for all we know!'' her eyes are blazing with fury as she searches the faces of her companions for any reaction.

When she doesn't get one, the woman sinks down in her chair, all fury leaving her body. Without the fierce fire in her eyes, one can see the dark bags under her eyes, her pale skin and the way her shoulders are slumped forward in exhaustion.

A sigh escapes the lips of a man with white hair and an eyepatch covering his left eye. His other eye shows his exhaustion and the man looks like he hasn't eaten or slept in days. ''We've been trying to find them,'' he informs the others. ''Everyone is exhausted. But there… there's nothing to go off. Kanashimi was destroyed, and it seems like Ishikawa has vanished from the earth.''

Orange eyes settle on a blue-haired figure. ''Do you have any idea where he could be?'' asks the black-haired man, his black and brown eyes searching the other man intently.

Said man simply closes his eyes in frustration, running a hand through his messy hair. ''If my brother doesn't want to be found, we won't find him,'' he says quietly. ''At this point, it seems that our only chance to find the missing players is if Kazuo reveals himself. If that happens, it means we're playing right into his game.''

''So we're basically pawns,'' grits the woman out, anger sparking in her violet-pink orbs. ''Damn it…''

A young man with dark brown hair, wearing an orange headband, looks around the group, eventually letting his gaze settle on the woman. ''Karibe-san, how is your team doing without the captain?''

Karibe sighs and runs a hand through her brown hair. ''They're worried,'' she says softly. ''Not only because Taiyou's gone, but also because of his illness. He might be a lot better now, but he could still relapse.'' She balls her fists in frustration. ''Arakumo's out for revenge.''

The man nods and looks at the black-haired man. ''What about Genei Academy, Housuiin-san?''

Genei's coach folds his hands together and leans his chin on them, exhaustion seeping through the cracks of the mask of calmness. ''Worried, of course, but also fired up to get the brat back,'' informs Housuiin the other coaches.

''Hakuren?''

Another, silver-haired young man answers. ''Out for revenge,'' he says simply. ''I've been trying to get them to calm down, but it's hard to get them to listen. Only when I told them they could endanger Yukimura by acting recklessly did they calm down, but only slightly.''

Dark eyes fall on a male with his blond and blue hair in a low ponytail. ''Aphrodi, what about Seishuu?''

Afuro bites his lip and shakes his head. His ponytail is messy and his clothes are ruffled, like he couldn't care less about his appearance at the moment, which is, considering the situation, probably true. ''Same as the others. Worried and angry, but that anger only seems to fuel their determination to get Kishibe and the others back.''

''Sakuma, how's Teikoku?''

The white-haired man from before answers after sharing a look with a goggled man. ''In one word, pissed. They want their keeper back,'' says Sakuma.

''Seidouzan?''

Another white-haired male answers. ''Like Fubuki said, I only just managed to keep them from doing anything reckless. I don't know how long they'll listen to me, though. They're getting more restless by the hour.''

Kidou looks at the brown-haired male. ''Endou, what about Raimon?''

Endou sighs and shakes his head. ''Chaos,'' he says simply. ''We've lost our captain and the three who would usually take over, and then of course Hikaru. Everyone's angry, and Sangoku's been trying to get them together, but it's just… the balance is completely gone.''

The sky blue-haired man speaks up. ''Most members of my team have successfully transferred to other schools. I've told them to keep a low profile,'' he informs the other coaches. ''Not all of them are willing to sit back, though. Those who want to help are told to be patient for now and lay low.'' Jirou tiredly rubs his temples. ''It's not only Kazuo whom they should look out for, but basically anyone important who could recognize them.''

Karibe narrows her eyes. ''What do you mean?''

Kanashimi's coach smiles emptily. ''Kazuo's a genius,'' he mutters. ''You've seen the news, haven't you? It's everywhere. By destroying Kanashimi, Kazuo's got a good cover to disappear. Everyone thinks he died in the fire, and now the school has no leader. Other teachers have stepped up to take care of the chaos, and the media has made it clear no one knows my position for certain either.''

''They believe the soccer club is currently on a training camp,'' points Kidou out thoughtfully.

Jirou nods. ''Yes. If one of my players is recognized and reported, it would blow the entire cover. Authorities would resume the search for me, and by finding the Kanashimi players they'd eventually find me as well. The story they've got now is weak at best.''

Kidou nods in agreement. ''If you were to be found, you'd be in the spotlight since your brother is supposed to be dead, and from that position you can't do much to help us. Not to mention, the suspicion that you're not on a training camp wouldn't be good…''

Silence settles between them, everyone left to their own thoughts. Eventually, Karibe slams her fist on the table again, shocking her fellow coaches. ''That might be good and well, but we still need to do something!''

''Karibe-san, if you have any ideas please share them because _we don't know what to do!''_ snaps Endou suddenly, shocking his friends. After a moment of stunned silence, the woman slowly leans back in her seat and the dark-haired man drops his head in his hands. ''I apologize for that,'' he mutters. ''I shouldn't have snapped at you.''

The woman sighs tiredly, offering a weak smile. ''No, I suppose it's okay. You're right, of course.'' She pushes a few locks of brown hair behind her ear and massages her temples. ''We're all stressed here.''

The silence returns, heavier this time. The tension is filled with frustration, Endou's words on everyone's mind.

 _We don't know what to do._

And they really don't. It has been seven days since their missing players were last spotted. Their other players are getting more and more impatient by the hour, yet the coaches won't take the risk of letting them get hurt as well, which is easier said than done. One wrong movement and everything will be over.

They don't know where their missing players are.

They don't know in what condition they are.

They don't know what Ishikawa Kazuo is capable of.

 _They just don't know._

It's like they're playing with fire, yet this fire does so much more than just burn.

Everyone has been on edge. They've used all their connections, all their knowledge, all possible plans, yet nothing has worked out. Nothing has been found – it's like they're trying to catch smoke.

''…should we tell our teams that they should have some more patience?'' asks Afuro eventually.

Fubuki is the one who answers after noticing no one else seems to have the energy to do so. ''We've been telling them to have patience for a week already,'' he mutters wearily. ''How long will they keep listening to us?''

''Then what can we do?'' counters Housuiin. The other coaches stay silent.

Because Genei's coach is right.

 _What can they do?_

* * *

''We've got to do something.''

The players of the nine teams gathered at Paradise Stadium look up when a voice breaks the thick silence. Kurumada is staring back at them, his dark eyes filled with resolution.

Sangoku frowns. ''We can't.''

''Why not?'' returns the other third-year immediately. ''Nothing's happening.''

''He's right,'' agrees Ueno, placing his hands on the field behind him and leaning back. ''The coaches aren't doing shit but sitting there and talking. Why should we listen to those bastards?'' he opens his greyish purple eyes and grins at the other teenagers, showing his teeth. ''If they aren't going to take action, we should. They're too careful! If we want to figure this shit out, we should take some risks!'' he sits up, his grin widening. ''We can finally-''

He's cut off by none other than his cousin.

''Goddamnit Hiroki, can't you just _shut up?!''_

Ueno stares at him with wide, stunned eyes, along with everyone else – in the past week that they've spent with Kanashimi's captain, they've gotten used to his calm demeanor.

''A-Akio…'' greyish purple eyes stare at the purple-haired boy in disbelief. ''What's gotten into you?''

Shimizu glares at his cousin, who easily takes notice of the dark bags beneath his eyes. ''No, what's gotten into _you?''_ he hisses, and Ueno blanches at the venomous tone. ''This is not some kind of joke, Hiroki! We're dealing with a psychopath here! Can't you just think straight for _one fucking second?_ Have you even thought about what Ishikawa can do to us, to our friends? How far he would go?! It seems you are forgetting that he fucking _experimented_ on us!''

The captain is standing at this point, his green eyes pools of furious venom. His cousin stares at him for a second longer, but then his greyish orbs darken in anger as he jumps up as well. ''Of course I haven't forgotten, Akio! Of course I'm worried about Sakaki and the others! But unlike _you,_ I'm not going to sit back and let that bastard use us for his own sick amusement!''

Almost everyone expects Shimizu to regain his calm and take control of the situation, like he has done every time there was a fight these past seven days.

Yet he surprises them all with his next action.

 _SLAP!_

Shimizu's eyes are hidden by his bangs, his hand raised from when he slapped his cousin. Said cousin is staring at him with wide, stunned eyes, a red mark on his cheek where the captain's hand made contact.

Then Ueno's eyes harden. ''Fuck you, bastard,'' he hisses and turns around. As he makes his way to leave the group, he looks over his shoulder. ''Everyone who wants to do something to the others can come with me.''

With that he walks towards the other side of the field, not giving the other players another look.

Shimizu stares at him with hard eyes. ''Don't mind him,'' he tells the others as he turns on his heels. ''At the rate he's going, he'll get himself killed before he turns twenty.'' The captain walks a few feet away from the gathered teams.

Raimon shares uneasy looks, the silence weighing down heavily on their shoulders. Eventually, Nishiki's voice breaks it. ''Ueno's right.''

Sangoku's head snaps up. ''Nishiki!''

The midfielder shakes his head. ''Don't try to deny it, Sangoku,'' he tells the keeper. ''We don't have the luxury of waiting. If we want to save Shindou and the others, we've gotta do something _now.''_ With an apologetic look at his teammates, he stands up. ''I'm sorry guys, but I'm with Ueno.''

He makes his way over to the dark-haired boy, ignoring the stares from the other people gathered. Without hesitation, Kurumada stands up to join the two, soon followed by Kariya and, surprisingly, Shinsuke.

''Shinsuke?'' asks Sangoku, disbelief coloring his voice as he stares at his fellow keeper.

The small boy fidgets uncomfortably. ''I-I'm sorry, senpai,'' he mutters finally. ''But I… I can't just sit here when our friends are in trouble!'' he turns around, running over the field quickly. Raimon stares at the retreating form of their youngest keeper in stunned silence.

''Anyone else who wants to leave?'' asks a voice suddenly, all eyes snapping to the last forward in their midst. Kurama's dark eyes scan the fallen faces of his teammates for any hints of their thoughts and sighs tiredly when it becomes clear no one else is going to join Ueno. ''This is just great,'' he mutters as he sees some players from other teams join the dark-haired Kanashimi player as well.

Hamano chuckles humorlessly. ''Seems like we've lost all our first-years now,'' he comments.

The others look around in surprise, not having realized it yet. Crestfallen expressions slowly appear on their faces when they realize the blue-haired midfielder is right.

Tenma, Tsurugi and Hikaru have been kidnapped by a psychopath. Shinsuke and Kariya have clearly stated they don't agree with most remains of Raimon's team.

''And almost all our forwards,'' mutters Amagi with a look at Kurama. ''We don't even have enough members left to play a game.'' The defender's expression falls as he looks at the six others of Raimon that are left.

''Are we going to be okay?'' mutters Hayami, looking at their fellow Raimon players with worry and slight panic.

Aoyama and Ichino share a look, and the blond boy frowns. ''It's like when everything started…''

''How are we ever going to do this? We've lost so much already!'' Hamano throws his hands to the sky in a sign of frustration. ''Heck, we've lost our entire team!''

* * *

From a distance, Earth Eleven watches as their fellow teams – especially Raimon's team – split up. ''This is not going well,'' comments Manabe, frowning deeply. ''This is not going well at all.''

''Will they be okay?'' asks Sakura, biting her lip worriedly.

Their detective immediately shakes his head, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ''If it continues like this, absolutely not,'' he mutters, his teammates' eyes falling on him. ''Raimon's missing all their usual pillars. It's like the glue that keeps them together is gone.''

Matatagi grits his teeth. ''Damnit. Why don't they understand they should stand together right now?'' he crosses his arms. ''Tch.''

Their keeper sighs. ''It's not like we started out so great,'' he reminds the forward.

''Yes, but we resolved our problems, didn't we?'' returns said forward equally. ''But Raimon… they're completely falling apart.''

Kusaka frowns, nodding in agreement. ''Minaho's got a point, though,'' he says, earning the attention of his teammates. ''Raimon's a strong team and they've overcome a lot of hardships.'' He thinks back to the stories the Raimon trio has told them about their school team. ''Yet with so many important players missing… not only important players on the field, but important to keep the balance in the team…'' he shakes his head.

''T-they're not the only ones, though…'' says Konoha, a little nervous.

Her friends look at her in surprise. Unsurprisingly, Minaho is the first one to understand her words. ''The other teams…'' he mutters, his frown deepening as he bites on his lip. ''They're all missing important players as well. They're not as bad off as Raimon is, but still… their harmony is off too.''

Understanding passes through them. ''You don't mean…'' Tetsukado stares at the detective, summing up the thoughts of his friends.

Minaho nods grimly. ''That's exactly what I mean. If Ishikawa were to challenge them now…''

The detective's voice is almost hauntingly nonchalant as he finishes the sentence, like he's commenting on the weather instead.

''…they would be destroyed.''

* * *

Mikado Haruma crosses his arms as he stares at the dark-haired Kanashimi player. ''You said you wanted to do something. What?'' he challenges the boy.

Ueno rolls his eyes. ''Tch, don't be so grumpy,'' he mutters, looking at the group of gathered players. Teikoku, Genei, Arakumo, Seidouzan, Kidokawa Seishuu, Hakuren and Raimon. The forward's eyes narrow when he doesn't spot the white uniform that belongs to his team.

' _Tch, bastards are too cowardly to take action.'_

Even though the group gathered here is much smaller than the group that decided to do nothing, it's still a satisfying amount.

Shirosaki, from Hakuren, raises an eyebrow. ''I hate to admit it, but Karasu Tengu is right.'' He ignores the scowling Teikoku captain. ''What's the plan?''

Ueno's face doesn't let any of his emotions show. ''The plan's easy. Since no one else seems to be doing shit, we're going to the place that probably contains the most information.'' His lips curl upwards when he sees the other players share a few nervous looks.

Taki Sousuke from Kidokawa Seishuu is the one who voices the question that is on everyone's mind. ''And where would that be?''

The Kanashimi forward grins wickedly. ''Where else than the fucking Kanashimi remains?''

* * *

''Agh!'' the boy yelps as he's thrown harshly on the ground. The door closes with a loud bang, the light of the hallway beyond being replaced by dark shadows. Retreating footsteps can be heard until silence is left in place, only broken by the ragged breathing.

The boy pants heavily and doesn't move from where he has fallen, completely exhausted. For a moment nothing happens but then one of the figures in the darkness moves to the side of the fallen teenager.

''Kirino, you alright?'' asks a hoarse voice.

The other figures react weakly to the sound, some simply opening their eyes, others lifting their heads to look at the two.

The figure on the ground groans as the other carefully helps him up in a sitting position. ''B-been better,'' rasps the pink-haired boy, hissing in pain when the other carefully helps him lean against the cool metal wall. ''W-what… 'bout the… o-others…?''

Kirino's eyes are finally getting used to the darkness and he can see the other avert his eyes, grimacing. ''We're mostly okay,'' he mutters.

''Shindou.'' Despite his condition, the defender somehow still manages to put a warning edge in his voice.

The wavy-haired boy chuckles wearily. ''Mostly,'' he repeats.

The pink-haired boy glances at the other figures, who are watching them in silence. His blue eyes meet a pair of red ones. The owner smiles tiredly and nods. ''N-nothing too serious this time, Kirino-san,'' whispers Kurosaki, his voice weak and scratchy. ''Yu… Yukimura-kun is unconscious, but he w-was awake when they… brought him… in…'' he closes his eyes in exhaustion, his head falling to the side.

''Careful,'' mutters another voice as the owner supports Seidouzan's captain, gently letting him rest against the wall behind them.

''Thanks,'' breathes Kurosaki tiredly, not opening his eyes.

Kishibe smiles weakly at the limp form of his fellow captain and then looks up at the new arrival. ''He's had it rough,'' he mutters softly, giving the Raimon defender a reassuring look when he can see a shimmer of concern in his blue orbs. ''He'll be fine. Like he said, Yukimura-kun basically collapsed from exhaustion and Mahoro-san is getting some extra sleep. Mizuno-kun is sulking.''

''I am not,'' comes another voice from the darkness. Kirino looks at the other side of the cell to the figures over there. One of them is lying on the cold metal floor, the only sign of life the slow rising and falling of his chest. The pink-haired boy can make out the blue hair of the only Hakuren player present.

Next to him is a red-haired boy, breathing evenly from the where he is half sitting, half lying against the wall. The purple and yellow uniform identifies him as the sleeping captain of Genei. Lastly, a green-haired boy is sitting on Yukimura's other side, leaning heavily against the wall as if it is the only thing keeping him upright. Which… it probably is.

Kishibe chuckles softly but it soon turns into a coughing fit. Kurosaki opens his eyes worriedly but doesn't make a move to get up, knowing he's too weak to sit up without support. Instead Shindou, sitting on Kishibe's other side, worriedly steadies Kidokawa's captain. ''You're not doing too well yourself either,'' he mutters, eyes darkening in concern.

The violet-haired boy smiles weakly but then groans and rests his head against the wall behind him, slumping against it. ''I'll be… fine…''

Raimon's ex-captain balls his fists weakly in frustration, but keeps his voice soothing when he speaks. ''Get some rest,'' he says softly, a soft hum his only answer. ''Alright, we're doing a little worse than okay,'' he mutters to his pink-haired friend.

Kirino pries his eyes open to stare at the other with a deadpan look, and Shindou laughs softly. ''At least Mizuno still has the energy left to sulk,'' comments Raimon's ex-captain.

''I am not sulking.''

The pink-haired boy shoots his fellow defender an amused look. ''S-sure you're n-not…'' his voice is weak but the Kanashimi player doesn't react to it vocally, instead huffing, yet his green eyes darken in concern.

Mizuno sighs. ''How're the others?''

At this, everyone conscious looks at the Raimon defender, anxious for some news on their other friends. Said Raimon player sighs tiredly, leaning his head on Shindou's shoulder in exhaustion. ''Miyabino was… u-unresponsive…'' he shudders when he remembers the empty eyes of Teikoku's keeper.

Shindou gently shakes him. ''You can sleep in a minute,'' he promises his friend.

Kirino nods weakly, keeping his eyes closed. ''Tsurugi… was u-unconscious…'' he continues, his voice even softer than before. ''Amemiya and H-Hikaru… r-repressing, again…'' he blinks wearily, fighting against the dark spots in his vision, as the others shudder at the memories his words bring forth. ''T-they were… working o-on… Sakaki and… Tenma…''

His eyes fall closed in exhaustion. All he feels is how someone gently lowers him to the ground, accompanied by Shindou's voice.

''Get some sleep, Kirino. You'll be fine.''

The pink-haired boy doesn't fight the exhaustion any longer, a last thought shooting through his mind.

' _Maybe I'll be fine… but how long can_ you _do this, Shindou?'_

* * *

 **Welcome to Still.**

 **Thank you all for the ideas. I really notice how most of you have such an evil imagination, and I have only one thing to say… You want dark?**

 _ **You'll get dark.**_

 **Yara~**


	2. Cold and Lost in Desperation

**Hello guys! Ready for the second chapter of Still~?**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and follows. They really inspired me to write this :) Talking about reviews, here we go:**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Hahaha, thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it so much~**

 _ **seshhxkagii99:**_ **I'm happy you like it. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 _ **Eme Hire:**_ **Hey there imouto! Seems like I managed to write this even though I'm so busy, huh? Well, actually, I already wrote the first 3000 words last week so it was just 2000 words more today. I hope you enjoy this, let me know what you think 'kay?**

 _ **Aquila Aqua:**_ **Hey there~ hahaha, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story as much as you did the first chapter. I certainly do ^.^**

 _ **IeGBestfriend:**_ **Athena-chan~ Hahaha, still is quite dark, yes… but it has it's funny moments as well (** _ **coughcough-**_ **transept programmer** _ **–coughcough**_ **) so I hope you enjoy this as well. Kazuo currently doesn't have time to answer you because he's torturing Tenma and the others. Jirou asked me ''to tell you that he's thankful for your continued support, because it makes Yara write more.'' His words, not mine. Glad you like the story cover, took me a few hours and a lot of Photoshop to get it done! Yep, that's Kazuo. Yep, he's handsome. Yep, he's evil. Yep, Jirou's his twin and looks exactly like him, only with long hair in a ponytail and without the glasses. Yep, Jirou's handsome too. Aw, poor Endou, he's really stressed. He's a bit happier in this chappie though :) That blackmail thing is nice, but I don't think it fits. I'll think about it, okay? Yeah, Jirou and Kazuo are (probably) going to have a 'mega face-off', like you so nicely put it, don't know for sure though. When you mean Inazuma Japan, do you mean Endou and the others or Matatagi and the Galaxy characters? Yeah, that 'you want dark, you'll get dark' is meant for everyone who wants to torture the protagonists (seriously, so many people want that!) and you're one of them, so yep, it's meant for you as well :)**

 _ **Guest:**_ **I LOVE your review~! There are going to be more different characters here as well. I think. Enjoy this chapter!**

 _ **Bacira99:**_ **Hey Chira-chan~ eh, another one who wants dark XD so many people want dark. And yet they still want a happy ending! That's kind of challenging… waitwaitwait no one's going to die… I think. There might be one character who will die at the end, but it's not someone from Raimon or their friends. Oh, you liked the newspapers? Good!**

 _ **StarBrightZorua:**_ **Oh, so it was from Pokémon. Hmm… maybe I'll do that recognize thing, yeah. Not sure though, I'll just see where this goes. Hahaha… yeah, I've noticed quite a lot of drama in your reviews XD No worries though, I'm dramatic too! You're weird? Huh, guess you'll fit right in then! Welcome, my fellow weirdo~**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Ah, no, I don't have an update schedule. Sorry. I know it can be annoying, but I mostly write when I have inspiration – if I don't have any ideas, I simply** _ **can't**_ **write. Trust me, I've tried but then I mostly just stare at a blank page and… well, writing when I don't feel like it doesn't work for me… :(**

 _ **Coco Baldwin:**_ **Enjoy~!**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Hahaha, here is the next update! Hope you enjoy it as well!**

 _ **Guest:**_ **…falling in love? Thanks for the compliment, I'm glad you like it so much!**

 **Well, that was that.**

 **Disclaimer: don't own, etc. etc. the usual.**

* * *

 **Guys… I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or not. Has no one found the hint in the last chapter? It was quite obvious, too… then, can someone find the hint in this one? Anyone? I'm curious to see if anyone can keep up with my mind... ~(V_V)~**

* * *

 _Shindou gently shakes him. ''You can sleep in a minute,'' he promises his friend._

 _Kirino nods weakly, keeping his eyes closed. ''Tsurugi… was u-unconscious…'' he continues, his voice even softer than before. ''Amemiya and H-Hikaru… r-repressing, again…'' he blinks wearily, fighting against the dark spots in his vision, as the others shudder at the memories his words bring forth. ''T-they were… working o-on… Sakaki and… Tenma…''_

 _His eyes fall closed in exhaustion. He feels is how someone gently lowers him to the ground, accompanied by Shindou's voice._

'' _Get some sleep, Kirino. You'll be fine.''_

 _The pink-haired boy doesn't fight the exhaustion any longer, a last thought shooting through his mind._

'Maybe I'll be fine… but how long can you do this, Shindou?'

* * *

Do You Feel Cold and Lost in Desperation?

* * *

 _The boy slowly came back to his senses and realized that it was… silent?_

 _And… dark. It was dark, the world behind his eyelids was dark. Once upon a time he might've been scared by the blackness and the silence that surrounded him, but now he knew… dark was good. So was silence. It didn't… hurt._

 _ **The light flickered on and burned his eyes. Then his body felt like it was on fire, burning, loud sounds surrounded him and he struggled but something held him down- he didn't like the sound, it was too loud, and the light was too bright but something was keeping him in place and it hurt-**_

 _He recoiled from the sudden flash in his mind. It hurt! The light and the sound hurt him and he couldn't escape!_

 _But here was no light and no sound. Here was only darkness and silence._

 _Here was good._

 _But where was here? He searched through his mind, when had he left the… left what? Where had he been before?_

 _He couldn't remember. He knew it was bad. It was a bad place. The bad place was filled with too much sound and too bright light and pain, a lot of pain. He had been locked up, he remembered that, he hadn't been able to flee. Something had kept him in place so that he couldn't flee from the constant pain-_

 _Constant?_

 _Was the pain constant?_

 _He tried to remember. The pain was constant… the light and the sound…_

 _No, those weren't constant. The pain was, but sometimes it was dark and silent and something else – something warm? But it hadn't been completely silent, he remembered now, and he could see just a little bit, but it wasn't loud and it wasn't bright and it didn't hurt._

 _What was that warmth? That warmth was important, he knew. He knew it was something important-_

 _Something? Was it something? No, that didn't sound right. It wasn't a thing, it was… like him? Something… like him. Something had been hurt as well, something had been there… together with him?_

 _There was… more than one something, he realized. There had been different somethings, somethings-like-him. But there was one something-like-him… one something that was a lot like him. That was even warmer than the other somethings. That was always there, even during the bright light and the loud sounds, something to comfort him._

 _That something had been there before. It was… familiar. Like him. It was like him, it was something that… completed him._

 _Where was it? He wanted that something. That something-like-him was warm and nice and happy and-_

 _He still felt it._

 _Something-like-him was here. It was here! He knew it, it was here, like it had been there in the bad place, but here it was different, it was-_

 _He faltered. It was… weaker?_

 _Weaker than in the bad place?_

 _Where? Why? Why was it weaker here, in the good place, than in the bad place? The bad place hurt them, the bad place was light and loud and it hurt him and it hurt the something-like-him as well and why would it be stronger there than here?_

 _It was…_ _still here… somewhere… but it was weak._

 _He wanted to know where it was. Where was here, anyway?_

 _Was there some way to see here?_

 _Suddenly he saw. He saw what here was, what it looked like. It was dark, like he thought. That was good, dark didn't hurt, dark was warm and nice. Good._

 _But it wasn't entirely dark. There were small lights. Those lights seemed familiar, he knew those lights… there were a lot. They floated around, looking the same, but also different._

 _It was… green? Yes, that's what it was. And it was also… orange, orange and warm, that-_

 _The orange belonged to the something-like-him! Orange was the something-like-him, the orange was here so the something-like-him must be here as well!_

 _But he couldn't spot the something-like-him. What did it look like? He knew it was warm and happy and gentle, it had its own special feeling… but what did it look like? He knew the something-like-him had orange… there was something with orange, the something-like-him's orange had been warm and gentle._

 _But… it hadn't been completely orange, right? A part of the orange had changed…_

 _Yet the orange was still warm and gentle and safe! Where was it? Where was the orange, he had to find it! It was somewhere here, he could feel it. The orange was weak but it was here._

 _It should be here. He should look for it, he should look for the orange. Yes, that's what he was going to do. He was going to find the orange and then he'd be happy and warm and safe. The orange would help him, yes, yes that was a good plan, the orange was good._

 _Where was the orange? It was somewhere here… but here was very big. Where should he start? Which way should he go to find the orange? He looked around._

 _The lights were gentle, unlike the bright light from the bad place. The lights here were small and gentle, floating around._

 _It seemed familiar._

 _He- he knew here. Here was somewhere he'd been before. Here was familiar, here was right but it- it was also wrong, it was different from what it should be._

 _Something-like-him should be here. Without something-like-him, it seemed lonely._

 _And the lights… the lights should be brighter. Not painfully bright, absolutely not, but they should be stronger, not this weak, there should be more of them…_

 _The floated lights seemed to dim slowly. Some of them were… disappearing! No! The lights shouldn't disappear, the lights were good, the lights belonged to the something-like-him! No, don't go! Stop!_

 _But the lights kept disappearing, flickering out, leaving it dark…_

 _Why was that bad? Dark was good, right?_

 _Yes… yes, dark was good. Dark didn't hurt, just like silence didn't hurt. Dark was very good, dark was his friend._

 _What had he been worried about again?_

 _Something about… lights? The lights were disappearing. That was good, light hurt, light should go and not hurt him. Good._

 _Something orange, but orange was the color of some of the lights. And the lights hurt, so the orange must hurt as well, right? But there was no orange here, it was good…_

 _It didn't hurt here, here was good._

 _But… didn't he want to find something? Yes, he had wanted to look for something… but for what? He didn't remember. He only remembered he should start looking, he should leave this spot and look for something in here._

 _He didn't remember what the something was, though._

 _Hmm… it must not have been important, if he forgot it so easily. Why should he look for it, why should he leave? Here was dark and silent and good. He didn't want to leave. He didn't have to leave, he didn't even remember why he wanted to leave. Here was good._

 _He stayed still._

* * *

Jirou furrows his brow as he stares at the screen in front of him, restlessly typing away on the keyboard. His eyes scan over the rows of numbers that flash over the screen.

''I have no idea how he does that,'' mutters Endou to Gouenji as the two friends watch the hacker do his work. ''Can he really read what's written there? I just see a bunch of numbers…''

His friend's lips twitch upwards and he nods lightly. ''Yeah, way too complicated for someone with your brain capacity,'' he says and Endou's head snaps around to look at him. Gouenji doesn't look away from Kanashimi's coach. ''I'm surprised you even know what numbers are. I'd have thought your head was filled with soccer balls.''

Raimon's coach opens his mouth in indignation but another voice cuts him off before he can even say something. ''And Natsumi, not to forget.'' Teikoku's commander himself joins the two other coaches. He then smirks at them, his eyes sparkling in humor behind his goggles.

''Hey!'' protests Endou, glaring weakly at them. ''That's just rude,'' he mutters, huffing and turning his head away from the other two. Gouenji and Kidou chuckle at his reaction.

Then the keeper suddenly gets an amused glint in his eyes, unnoticed by the other two as he opens his mouth to speak. ''At least I don't think it's acceptable to set people on fire,'' he says with a glance at Gouenji. ''Or scare innocent first-year students.''

The flame striker does something very rare for him – he blushes and averts his gaze. ''I don't set people on fire!'' he protests. Endou and Kidou both raise an unimpressed eyebrow. ''Okay… not as much as I used to…'' mutters the forward after a moment of hesitation. Then he crosses his arms. ''And it's not like I _wanted_ to scare Tenma! It was my job as the Holy Emperor!''

The keeper nods, obviously not convinced. ''I'm sure,'' he agrees in a disbelieving voice. ''I take it you went around to other teams to scare first-years as well?''

When the ex-Holy Emperor stays quiet, Raimon's coach looks at Kidou. ''And for you…'' he smiles, but somehow it seems dark to the game maker. ''Three words. Capes, goggles, penguins.''

Gouenji actually _sniggers_ while the Teikoku commander himself blushes. ''I…'' he trails off and Endou grins. He can count the times he rendered his friend speechless on one hand.

''Sweet revenge,'' whispers the keeper, grinning innocently at the two glares directed at him. ''What? Was it something I said?''

Gouenji sighs and shakes his head in amusement and even Kidou can't fight the small smile playing on his lips at their playful banter.

Someone behind them laughs and the three friends turn around to see none other than Fudou, who grins at them. ''Seems like Goggles and Flames have been dissed by our idiot captain.''

Endou's eye twitches at the 'idiot' part. ''Fudou, I take offence in that,'' he says sweetly.

The other male snickers. ''So what?''

The keeper's smile suddenly doesn't seem so innocent anymore. ''Well, not much, I suppose. But I've been getting lessons from my father-in-law about how to use a riffle… he actually wants me to use it to protect Natsumi, but I suppose no one would mind if I wanted to _practice_ a little bit… _right?''_ his friends shiver at the icy sweet smile and Fudou takes a step backwards.

''Guys, you _do_ realize I'm hacking here, right?'' says a voice from behind them suddenly. The four men look at the owner of the voice and see Jirou, an amused smile on his lips even though he doesn't look up from the screen. ''Please keep it down or I might _accidentally_ put something in your drinks later.''

Gouenji and Kidou freeze and Fudou chokes on air at the not-so-subtle hint, while Endou grins brightly. ''I like your style!'' his friends can swear there are sparkles around him as he smiles at Kanashimi's coach.

Said coach responds with equal enthusiasm and sparkles. ''I agree.''

The other three share a long, horrified look. ''I think they should never be alone in a room together,'' says Fudou slowly, and the other two nod immediately.

''Agreed.''

Jirou laughs softly even as he turns his attention back to the screen, still typing away at the keyboard. ''No wonder I couldn't hack you,'' he mutters to the people behind him. ''This is one of the best security systems I've ever seen.''

The light mood disappears, replaced by a serious one. ''But we were still hacked,'' comments Kidou grimly.

The blue-haired man nods thoughtfully. ''True, but from what I've found this wasn't just the work of a normal hacker,'' he says after a moment of thought. ''This was done with state-of-the-art technology. We're lucky we're not working with a professional hacker here.''

The others frown in confusion. ''What do you mean?'' asks Gouenji.

Kanashimi's coach sighs. ''I'll admit, this hacker is good but nowhere near perfect. The only reason he managed to get through our defenses is because of the technology he used. If he had to depend on skill, we would definitely have caught him,'' he explains with completely certainty.

''How are you so sure the hacker is a he?'' questions Kidou. Jirou motions for him to come over and Teikoku's coach does so after a short pause.

The blue-haired man doesn't take his eyes off the screen. ''I'd recognize this work anywhere. Watch.'' He types something in the keyboard and suddenly a picture of a blue lotus flower appears. ''This is Ishikawa tech. It seems Kazuo developed this without my knowledge, because this is of a higher level than anything I've worked with before.''

Meanwhile the other three have joined them in watching the screen and the blue lotus flower. ''So Kazuo's the one who hacked us?'' Endou asks after a moment of silence.

Kanashimi's coach nods. ''Or maybe someone working for him, I'm not completely sure.'' He pauses for a moment to think. ''Kazuo is not a hacker with so much skill, but he's been hiding a lot of things from me lately.'' He smiles ruefully at some of the nasty surprises from the past week. ''I wouldn't be surprised if he had a hacker at his command, or if his own skill was better than I thought.''

A heavy silence settles between them, only broken by the sound of Jirou's typing. Last night, someone hacked Teikoku's database. Only because Hiroto had been working late had he noticed, but the redhead hadn't been able to stop the intruders.

He had immediately notified the others and everyone had gathered at Teikoku Academy, despite the early hour. It had been decided that Jirou would work his magic, seeing as he had pretty much proved his loyalty by revealing all of Kanashimi's secrets and that he was the best hacker at their disposal.

That was seven hours ago. The blue-haired hacker had only taken short breaks during those whole seven hours, in which Hiroto took over his work for a moment, before the professional hacker continued his work again.

''Do you know what they stole?'' Kidou breaks the silence, a sharp edge to his voice.

Jirou doesn't look up from his work, completely focused even though he somehow manages to answer. ''Well, they only copied files so that makes it easier to see the information they accessed,'' he tells the others. ''Furthermore, Teikoku's defenses are really incredible. The hacker didn't manage to break through the files with the most important and current information.''

Well, at least there's _some_ good news. Nothing about their current situation has been revealed to the enemy, it seems. Still, Kidou can't help but wonder what they did access. ''Then what did they do?''

Kanashimi's coach frowns. ''History records,'' he says. ''Of matches, of past players, of used tactics, ranging from one to fifteen years ago.'' The men behind him share confused looks. ''They didn't manage to break through any information on the current team, though.''

Suddenly another voice joins them. ''History records?'' everyone turns around to look at the new arrival and even Jirou glances up for a moment before immediately focusing on his work again. Sakuma frowns in confusion as he walks forward, holding a tray with cups of coffee for all of them. ''What could they possibly want with that?''

Fudou takes a sip from his coffee. ''Well, you said they couldn't break through Teikoku's strongest defenses, right?'' Jirou nods without looking up from the screen and the other man continues. ''So maybe they just searched through everything else they could access?''

While it seems like a logical explanation, the blue-haired hacker immediately shakes his head. ''Unlikely,'' he says, completely sure of himself. ''Even though they would check the other information as well, there was no need to go back fifteen years in the records. Kazuo would've copied the most recent files and then focused on breaking through the other defenses again. This… just doesn't seem like it.'' He nods thankfully as Sakuma hands him a cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, Kidou lowers his own mug in a mix of shock and worry. ''Are you saying that Kazuo was looking for something else?'' his grip on his coffee tightens as he tries to come up with a logical explanation. Is there anything in their files that could possibly be of any interest to Ishikawa Kazuo?

Jirou nods grimly. ''Afraid so,'' he mutters. ''Kazuo might be hiding things from me, but I still know him well enough to figure out how his mind works. He was looking for something and I have no idea what.''

He suddenly stops typing and he turns in his swivel chair. ''Or if he managed to find it, for that matter.''

* * *

Afuro Terumi, also known as Aphrodi, holds back a sigh as he wearily scans the field of Paradise Stadium. The soccer players currently practicing seem distracted and down, but the coach can't blame them. Eight days have passed without news about the missing players and it's wearing on everyone.

Kidokawa Seishuu's coach lets his eyes move back to the stack of papers lying innocently on the bench next to him. Reluctantly he grabs one of the documents from the stack, already feeling a headache coming up even without having read anything.

Aphrodi throws another look at the field, this time a bit longingly. He ignores the urge to stand up and grab a ball, instead resigning himself to his fate as responsible soccer coach who needs to do his paperwork now.

He groans quietly as his eyes return to the paper in his hand. He plays with his ponytail while reading the text, yawning. The next few minutes pass calmly as the coach continues to read the papers, sometimes signing and other times discarding them.

Afuro yawns again, covering his mouth with his hand as he stares at the small, black print on white. Suddenly a voice breaks him out of his concentration. ''You're not falling asleep on me, are you?''

Kidokawa's coach glances up, only to see a familiar man with silver hair smiling at him. ''Fubuki,'' greets Aphrodi as he yawns again, longer than the previous one.

The other's gaze turns sympathetic as he sits down next to Afuro, making sure not to move any of the papers. ''Here,'' he says, holding out a cup to the ex-Zeus player.

Aphrodi blinks, not having noticed the two mugs the Hakuren coach is holding before, but then takes it gratefully and takes a sip from the dark liquid. He sighs in contentment as he feels the hot drink warm his body. ''Thank you, I needed that,'' he tells the other and then leans back against the bench. ''I think I'm getting addicted to this stuff.''

Fubuki grins and blows on his own drink. ''The wonders of coffee,'' he agrees. ''Humanity's greatest discovery since fire. Or soccer, if you asks Endou.''

Afuro snorts in amusement, somehow still managing to do it elegantly. ''And basically anyone else in this vicinity,'' he mutters and then yawns again. ''Ugh, remind me again why I was up at two in the morning?'' he grumbles.

For a moment he doesn't get an answer, as Hakuren's coach swallows another mouthful of coffee. ''Well, Hiroto found out we've been hacked.''

The other male groans lowly. ''Oh god, don't remind me. My headache's bad enough without all that.'' He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

Fubuki grimaces as he places his empty mug on the ground. ''You know who I really pity?'' Afuro raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. ''Jirou. He's been hacking since three o'clock. In the _morning._ How does he do it?''

Aphrodi stares at him with horrified eyes. ''Seriously? I hadn't realized.'' At the nod he receives, the ex-Zeus player mimics the other's grimace. ''Poor guy. He must literally live from this stuff,'' he says as he takes another sip of his hot drink. ''Why do we have coffee? Can't we just have pure caffeine or something?''

The silver-haired man blinks. ''You know that's lethal, right?''

The other shrugs. ''I can't remember the last time I stayed awake without coffee. Don't blame me if I can't think straight anymore.'' He smiles slightly. ''I'm just glad I'm not tired enough to talk to inanimate objects.''

Fubuki laughs at that, perhaps a bit too loudly because some of the teenagers practicing on the field stop to look at him. Seeing as Hakuren's coach is still laughing, Aphrodi quickly throws a smile at the players while gesturing for them to continue training. Then he glances at the other coach in amusement. ''I see I'm not the only one sleep deprived, huh.''

The other grins sheepishly. ''Sorry, I get emotional when I'm tired,'' he mutters. ''But I know where you're coming from. Just a few hours ago, I tried to unlock an open door with my car keys…'' he rubs the back of his head.

Afuro blinks and sweatdrops. ''Well, that's creative.'' Then, sighing heavily, he looks back at the paper in his hand. ''I hate paperwork,'' he grumbles. ''Most of this stuff doesn't even make sense. This one's about a transept programmer to provoke mutual respective amongst studios.''

Fubuki stares at him. ''Uh… what?''

Kidokawa Seishuu's coach blinks at him in confusion. ''What, what?''

The silver-haired male raises an eyebrow and grabs the paper the other coach is still holding. For a moment he scans it and then looks at Aphrodi again, slightly worried this time. ''I think you need to get some real sleep soon.''

The ex-Zeus player raises an eyebrow. ''What? It's not my fault my colleagues are weird,'' he defends even as he yawns again.

''Afuro,'' begins Fubuki slowly. ''This is a paper about a transfer program to promote mutual respect amongst students,'' he states patiently. ''Not about a… transept programmer?'' his lips twitch upwards in amusement.

The other blinks, stealing the paper back and scrutinizing at the small print. ''Really? I must be more tired than I thought I am…'' and yes, the paper indeed talks about a transfer program. ''You're right,'' agrees Aphrodi, slightly surprised. ''Hm. Already thought it was weird.''

Hakuren's coach shakes his head and sighs, a soft chuckle escaping his lip. ''I'll help you with your paperwork,'' he offers eventually. ''If you're left to it, you might accidentally make a horrible mistake.''

Afuro rolls his eyes. ''I'm not _that_ bad,'' he mutters and the other raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

''Transept programmer.''

Aphrodi huffs.

Fubuki chuckles again and scans the paper. '"Anyway, there's going to be a big transfer program next month between quite a few schools… transfer students can also join a club from the school they're going to. You need to give your permission to let them join temporarily,'' he explains.

Kidokawa's coach hums, his eyes suddenly lighting up. ''Which schools are joining the program?'' he asks after a moment of thought.

The silver-haired man raises an eyebrow but looks back at the paper anyway. ''Hm… seems like quite a few. Hakuren, Genei, Arakumo, Eito, Teikoku, Mannouzaka, Seidouzan, Raimon, Kaiou and Tengawara,'' he says after a moment. ''Must be a big project.''

Suddenly Aphrodi smiles and the other can basically see the gears in his head work. ''Afuro? Is something wrong?''

Seishuu's coach grins. ''I think I've got an idea.''

* * *

Tsurugi grits his teeth against the headache threatening to spit his head in two. He desperately tries to see his surroundings, but the black blindfold does its job like it's supposed to.

A wave of exhaustion crashes over him and the forward can feel himself stumble. Before he loses his balance completely, someone grabs his arm and steadies him. The boy immediately freezes and then jerks away from the touch like he's been burned.

A hand is placed on his back and he growls, yet the navy-haired teen is too weak to fight it when the person behind him pushes him forward – not hard enough to make him lose his balance, but definitely not gently either.

''Keep walking,'' says a voice that he's become quite familiar with the past week. Tsurugi growls again but follows the command, not having another choice but to let the hand on his back lead him through the maze of hallways.

After a few minutes the hand is placed on his shoulder, stopping him. A moment later, the teen can hear the sound of a door sliding open and suddenly the blindfold is ripped away. He blinks against the bright light that floods his vision.

He's pushed forward and stumbles into a small room, the door sliding shut behind him. Tsurugi blinks, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the sudden light, and then looks at the room he's in.

It's small. In front of him is a door just like the one behind him. Right is a mirror, left is a small bench. The whole room is made of the blue metal that seems to make up everything in this place. Wherever this place is.

On the bench lies a bunch of folded clothes. The forward narrows his eyes and carefully picks the first garment from the stack, inspecting it.

The first thing he notices is that it looks like a soccer uniform. The shirt is a light, almost white grey with light blue lines and a dark, blueish grey collar. The shorts are the same dark, blueish grey. The socks are the same light color as the shirt, with light blue stripes around the top. The shoes are blueish grey as well, finishing the uniform.

Tsurugi throws it down as if it's caught fire. ''You want me to wear this?!'' he hisses, glaring at the ceiling of the room, knowing the man can hear him. ''In your dreams!''

Suddenly the lights flicker out, leaving him in the dark. A moment later, hidden lines on the walls start glowing a cold, blueish white light and the teen's eyes widen. He doesn't have a chance to react otherwise for electricity crackles through the air and he screams.

After about a minute, the electricity dies down, leaving the forward panting on the ground. When he finally catches his breath, Tsurugi growls furiously but resigns to his fate. ''Fine, I'll put the stupid thing on,'' he hisses.

The lights flicker on again and the navy-haired boy carefully stands up, faltering slightly as another wave of exhaustion crashes over him. ''Damn it…'' he breathes out as he sits down on the bench and leans heavily on the wall behind him.

After the feeling of weakness has left his limbs, the teen pulls his battered Raimon uniform off and grabs the light shirt instead. Staring at it in disdain for a moment, he sighs wearily and pulls it over his head.

Surprisingly, it fits perfectly. Tsurugi frowns, not wanting to think about that little detail, and continues in changing into the new uniform.

After tying the shoelaces of his blueish grey shoes, the forward folds his Raimon uniform and waits. Not even a minute later, the door opposite the one he first came through opens. Following the silent order, Tsurugi stands up and slowly makes his way to the open doorway.

He throws one last, longing look at the bright yellow and blue uniform and exits the small changing room, the door sliding shut behind him.

The navy-haired teen looks at his new surroundings. His eyes widen when previously invisible lines on the walls start to glow with the familiar blueish white light that promises pain.

A metallic voice rings through the empty room. _''Progress:_ _ **Repressing**_ _starting now.''_ Electricity crackles.

Soon, screams accompany it.

* * *

Tsurugi Yuuichi stares out of the window of his room, his expression perfectly blank as he looks at the droplets of water hitting the ground outside.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The pattering of the rain is the only sound heard, the scene a perfect picture of serenity.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The only thing that breaks it, is the storm of emotions in the male's brown eyes, matching the storm outside yet so much more wild than the dark, blueish grey clouds packing together in the sky.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Suddenly, Yuuichi balls his fists and furrows his brows, not tearing his eyes away from the rain outside, only separated from him by a window.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

''Damnit…'' the eighteen-year-old bites his lip and clenches his eyes shut, the conversation from a few days ago replaying in his head. ''Damnit!''

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The young man hides his face in his hands. _'Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you scared?'_ the mix of questions flood his mind. _'Why? Why is it always you? Why can't I ever protect you?'_ something warm trails down his cheek.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

His little brother, the little brother he loves with all his heart, is gone. Missing. Kidnapped by a psychopath. Yuuichi wanted to scream at Gouenji when the man came to tell him about the fate of his brother. In that one moment, the navy-haired male didn't care that Gouenji is the one he always looked up to – the only thing he wanted was to scream, to cry, to hide. Yet he did none of these things and instead smiles politely, albeit a little shakily, thanking the man for the information.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

His brother, his precious baby brother, kidnapped. The worry in his heart is all-consuming, the fear and the uselessness taking their toll on him.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

But not anymore. Yuuichi's brown eyes burn in determination as he stares grimly at the window. _'Kyousuke… wherever you are, be strong. I will find you, I promise I will. I don't care what I have to do, I_ will _get you back.'_ With his mind made up, his eyes fall on the phone lying on his nightstand and he reaches for the device.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

He dials a number, holding the phone to his ear as he waits. _'Just hold on. I'm coming for you, Kyousuke.'_ Finally, the other picks up. ''Gouenji-san? It's me, Tsurugi Yuuichi…''

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

* * *

 **The second chapter of Still. Ooh, seems like Jirou and Endou are becoming good friends~ and what is it that Kazuo is after? Seems Aphrodi has an idea! (Sorry, I just couldn't help the transept programmer moment. It was too tempting.) And a Tsurugi moment there~ sorry if the description of the uniform sucked. Seriously guys, just look at the story cover. Lastly, a Yuuichi moment! He'll have more appearances as well. I just love the brotherly relationship between Yuuichi and Kyousuke! I love how far those two go for each other (seriously, Yuuichi lost the use of his legs for Kyousuke and Kyousuke became a Seed, basically for Yuuichi's sake.)**

 **By the way, I'm really busy now. Don't expect any updates next week. Sorry.**

 **\- Yara Meijer**


	3. Watching You

**Sorry for the wait! I had a short writer's block… for this story, at least. So… have you guys checked out my new story yet? It's called Accidental Reverse~ (yes, shameless advertising here)**

 **Anyway, onto the reviews!**

 _ **Coco Baldwin:**_ **Thanks! And maybe I'll take you up on that (though, would you mind if it's for Accidental Reverse instead? I don't really need help on this one…)**

 _ **MistyLove:**_ **Thanks! I hope you enjoy this one as well… and the rest of the story~**

 _ **Aquila Aqua:**_ **…okay, that's one thing I hadn't thought of yet XD Maybe it will be part of the story, but I don't think so. It doesn't fit in with all the twists I've thought of (seriously, I'm even surprising myself with them…)**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Heyhey~ yeah, it was kind of necessary. This one's a bit of building up as well, but the end is finally the real lead-up to the rest of the story. Next chapter, the real fun will start! Hahaha, yes, writing Endou like that is awesome XD but seriously, a** _ **cape?**_ **Eh, maybe Jirou and Endou will end up thinking of something… I have most of the story planned out, but just yesterday I thought of a real good twist so everything can change. Besides, I haven't finished the little details yet! Hahaha, that next part made me laugh really hard~ Tsu-chan 1 and Tsu-chan 2? Yeah, Yuuichi's gonna play a big part in the story from now on as well… if you like my humor, try out Accidental Reverse! (Shameless advertising… sorry, it's just my masterwork at the moment. 60K+ words written already, so I really want to know if people like it… it's kind of different from my usual works. Hope you don't mind my advertising hahaha)**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Glad you like it so much! Don't worry, I just thought of some new twists that I'm dying to write, so I'll definitely continue to work hard for this! ;)**

 _ **IeGBestfriend:**_ **Athena-chan… *sweatdrops* one thing though, it's Kazuo and not Kazou XD don't worry, lots of people get it wrong! Hahaha maybe there will be some more screentime for poor sleep-deprived Aphro-chan and Fubu-chan, who knows… um… you're welcome? There will be lots of Tsurugi brother moments in the future chapters, with a lot of drama and poor Yuuichi and- sorry, I'll stop spoiling now~ well, Aphrodi's plan is still a secret, but I'll tell you that Yuuichi's basically sick of doing nothing and is trying to convince Gouenji to let him help. More of that in this chapter~**

 _ **AA:**_ **…damn, you are one observant reviewer. Hehehe… um, I wrote most questions in this chapter but I'll explain a few things. Shuu is not one any team that is known in Japan, so Kazuo doesn't know of him and his power. He also wasn't aware that Shuu and Hakuryuu were helping Tenma, so he did not include the two of them, simply because he didn't know of them (or maybe he did know of Hakuryuu, but he wasn't aware he was with Raimon). About Ayumi and her parents, Kidou managed to take care of them and they returned to their hometown. But they won't simply sit still, so there's more of them in this chapter. Yep, that group appears in this chapter. So, hope this clears it up a bit? And thanks for pointing it all out – I'm writing so many different things through this story that I sometimes forget to tie up the loose ends, so it's nice to have someone tell me about them~!**

 _ **seshhxkagii99:**_ **Tenma will appear later, sorry… he did appear in a way at the start of chapter two though. Yeah, the Tsurugi brothers are awesome – I mean, Kyousuke became a Seed for Yuuichi's sake. Is that brotherly love or what? And Endou and Jirou aren't creepy, they're my cuties! Hahaha, just kidding~**

 _ **R:**_ **Well, hope you enjoy this as well!**

 _ **himekuroyuki853:**_ **Haru's been taken as well… you probably didn't notice it since a lot happened in those chapters, but it was written in Stand's last chapter and Still's first. Yep, those italics is Tenma! Hope you enjoy this chapter~!**

 _ **NighTidePlayZ:**_ **Muhahaha… you will be even more worried as the story progresses, I'm sure~**

 _ **StarBrightZorua:**_ **Hey Pokémon-chan! (Can I call you that?) Wow, you managed to keep up with my thoughts. Is it so obvious? (Probably is, huh?) No, at the start was Tenma. Haru's 'orange', remember? There are green and orange lights – Tenma's green, Haru's orange. Yep, dark is coming… though, it will still contain humor and stuff. It's just that the situation's gonna get worse and the experiments as well~**

 _ **KiarikaKawaii:**_ **Thanks! I'll do my best to make the other chapters good as well and I hope you'll enjoy them! Oh, do you like Kirino? XD**

 _ **BlackCloud11234:**_ **Hey there~ missed you when you didn't review ;) THANK YOU FOR BEING SO CONSIDERATE! Sorry about that, I felt kind of guilty for not updating and all that (writer's block) so it's nice to have someone who tells me to take my time! Hope you enjoy this chapter~!**

 **Disclaimer: don't own~**

 **Well, enjoy~**

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 _His little brother, the little brother he loves with all his heart, is gone. Missing. Kidnapped by a psychopath. Yuuichi wanted to scream at Gouenji when the man came to tell him about the fate of his brother. In that one moment, the navy-haired male didn't care that Gouenji is the one he always looked up to – the only thing he wanted was to scream, to cry, to hide. Yet he did none of these things and instead smiled politely, albeit a little shakily, thanking the man for the information._

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 _His brother, his precious baby brother, kidnapped. The worry in his heart is all-consuming, the fear and the uselessness taking their toll on him._

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 _But not anymore. Yuuichi's brown eyes burn in determination as he stares grimly at the window. 'Kyousuke… wherever you are, be strong. I will find you, I promise I will. I don't care what I have to do, I will get you back.' With his mind made up, his eyes fall on the phone lying on his nightstand and he reaches for the device._

Drip. Drip. Drip.

 _He dials a number, holding the phone to his ear as he waits. 'Just hold on. I'm coming for you, Kyousuke.' Finally, the other picks up. ''Gouenji-san? It's me, Tsurugi Yuuichi…''_

Drip. Drip. Drip.

* * *

Every Step You Take, I'll Be Watching You

* * *

Ayumi takes deep, slow breaths as she stares at the letter that was delivered by the nurse, together with her breakfast. It seems innocent enough, yet it sends her heart racing in fear.

She drops it on her lap and clutches the bedsheet with shaking hands, focusing on her breathing. In and out, until her heart starts to calm down. Even so, the fear does not disappear.

The only sound in the room comes from the television, which is currently on a sports channel. One of the men on the screen is just announcing a match for tomorrow between a school that sounds slightly familiar to the redheaded girl, Mannouzaka Jr. High, and another team she's never heard of before. But Ayumi is currently too caught up in the situation to really care.

Her hands still shaking, she picks up the letter again and swallows nervously. It's a long yet small and thin, white envelope. What makes her so nervous, however, is the light blue lotus flower printed on the back.

She carefully opens it. Inside the envelope is a strip of white paper, a single sentence in black printed onto it. In the lower right corner is a small, blue lotus flower. A she reads the sentence, a shiver goes down her spine.

 **V** _ **oices… shouting… someone is screaming…**_

Without even a moment of hesitation, she grabs her phone and dials the only number she can think of – the phone number of Fujita Hitomo, manager of Kanashimi's soccer club.

As the dial rings, the redheaded girl sends a silent prayer to whatever deity will listen.

' _Please… let my brother be alright…'_

* * *

''I want to know the truth!''

Kidou narrows his eyes behind his goggles at the man sitting in front of him. The woman next to him lays a hand on his shoulder. ''Dear, please… I'm worried too, but we won't get any further if we can't calm down.''

The man narrows his orange-colored eyes but then nods slowly. ''You're right, as usual,'' he smiles at her but the tension hasn't left him yet. He looks back at Teikoku's commander. ''I apologize for my outburst there, Kidou-san, but this is my son we're talking about.''

The goggled man nods and allows himself to relax slightly now that the man seems willing to listen. ''I understand and I truly wish I didn't have to be so secretive about this, but this is for your son's safety.'' The pair of worried parents tenses again at this. ''We are doing everything we can to ensure his safe retrieval, but we have to work carefully.''

The two parents share a look. ''Kidou-san,'' begins the woman softly. ''What exactly do you mean with that?''

The coach sighs as he leans his intertwined hands on the desk before him. ''Hanako-san, Katsu-san, I will tell you as much as I can, but you cannot anymore questions after that. Understand?''

For a moment the couple is silent, but then Katsu nods. ''We understand.''

Kidou smiles slightly in relief at this but doesn't show any other emotion. ''Haruki and several others have caught the attention of someone who wants to use them for his own gain. This man doesn't care about what methods he has to use or how far he must go. We are trying to bring justice to him, but he has been a few steps ahead of us this whole time. Because of this, we have to act carefully and cannot afford to make any thoughtless moves.''

Katsu and Hanako are quiet for a long while as they process this information. Kidou watches them silently, trying to read their body language for any clues to their thoughts.

Hanako's lime green eyes are narrowed in thought and her hands are gripping her dress so tightly the skin is turning white. After a while of silence, she looks up to meet Kidou's gaze. ''Can you ensure the safety of our son?'' she asks sharply.

The Teikoku commander nods, an air of confidence around him. ''We have dealt with many different situations in the past, and while this is quite different from what we're used to, I am confident that we will handle this as well.''

The red-haired woman nods slowly. ''Very well,'' she speaks softly, her brows furrowing and her eyes thoughtful. ''What about our daughter?'' at the question, Kidou raises an eyebrow in question and gestures for her to go on. ''Haruki loves his sister dearly and would do anything for her. Due to Ayumi's medical condition, we cannot protect her easily. If this man that took my son is really as dangerous as you say, would that mean Ayumi is in danger?''

Now it's Kidou's turn to frown in thought. His mind goes back to Gouenji and the lengths he would go to in protecting Yuuka and his frown deepens. ''You certainly have a point there,'' he says finally. ''We can arrange for her to be placed in Inazuma Town's hospital, where it will be easier to ensure her safety.''

The couple shares a look, silently communicating. After a moment of silence, Katsu answers. ''Very well. But we want to be here as well.''

''Excuse me?'' Kidou blinks in surprise. It's not easy to catch him off guard, but he honestly had not expected this.

Katsu narrows his eyes and his expression tells the commander he won't back down. ''These are our children we're talking about, Kidou-san.'' The look in his eyes is one of a father who would do anything for his family. ''My only son has caught the attention of someone dangerous and is currently in an unknown situation. My only daughter is in the hospital and is possibly in danger as well. If you think we'll just wait on the sidelines, you are mistaken.''

For a long moment, the two men simply stare at each other, waiting for one of them to give in. Eventually though, Kidou bows his head in defeat. ''What do you propose?'' he asks calmly.

Hanako doesn't hesitate in her answer. ''We will find an apartment here in Inazuma Town. You will inform us of any major updates on the situation and we will do anything we can to help you.''

Kidou nods slowly. ''That can be arranged, but what about your jobs?''

This time it is Katsu who answers. ''We are certainly not poor and we also have the money from my late parents. Furthermore, our jobs can both be done at home. We will only have to go to office once every week.''

The Teikoku coach nods again. ''Very well. I can give you the address of an acquaintance of mine who rents out apartments for a reasonable price.''

Hanako and Katsu share another look. ''Alright,'' says the man eventually. ''What is her name?''

''Her name is Kino Aki. Her relative, Matsukaze Tenma, is one of the others who have been taken along with your son.''

The couple gasps. ''Tenma-kun?!'' Hanako's voice is filled with concern.

Kidou nods. ''I take it you've met him.'' At the woman's nod, he grimaces but then goes back to the topic at hand. ''I believe Kino is currently in the building. Would you like me to call for her?''

Katsu nods. ''Yes, please.''

''Very well.''

* * *

A sudden knock of silence breaks the peaceful silence in the guestroom of Aki's apartment and its occupant looks up. A moment later the door opens to show none other than Hakuryuu, a towel around his neck and his white hair slightly damp.

The moment Shuu takes a look at his face, he marks the page and places his book on his nightstand. ''Hakuryuu,'' he greets quietly as the albino sits down on the only chair in the room. ''Is something wrong?''

The other shoots him an 'are-you-kidding-me' look and leans back in his seat. ''Nothing's happening,'' he says eventually. Shuu doesn't need to ask what he's talking about. ''It's been ten days.''

The islander nods silently and shifts his gaze towards the window. ''I know,'' he says finally. ''Everyone's tense. The teams are in disarray, the adults seem ready to break down and yet we're not even a step closer to finding Tenma and the others.''

The albino sighs and runs a hand through his damp hair. ''The worst part is that we don't know _anything_. It's been too silent.''

Shuu doesn't immediately react, instead keeping his eyes on the world beyond the window. The rain clouds from yesterday evening have been replaced by a thick pack of colorless clouds, seemingly absorbing all colors and leaving the world desolate.

He finally acknowledges Hakuryuu's words with a slight nod. ''But not for long anymore,'' he says softly.

''What?''

The islander lets his gaze flash to the albino and then looks back to the clouds. ''Something's about to change,'' he says quietly. ''Soon.'' He shakes his head and sighs softly, still keeping his eyes on the sky. ''Something will happen sooner than you might think… and maybe that will be the push that we need.''

Hakuryuu doesn't interrupt him while he speaks. Once the other boy falls silent, the albino turns his red eyes to the desolate sky as well. Having known Shuu for quite a while now, he's already used to the boy's scary accurate intuition. ''I guess it won't be a good something, correct?''

Shuu nods. ''The sky's grim,'' just as he says that, the clouds break open and a bright beam of sunlight falls through the crack, shining lonely and brightly. Hakuryuu can feel a shiver go down his spine at the icy sight. ''Yet there's a beam of light,'' mutters the islander. ''Whatever it is, it won't be good, but at least it will be the truth.''

''The truth?'' repeats his albino friend quietly.

Shuu nods again, his eyes reflecting the light of the cold sun. ''The truth is not always pretty…''

The albino returns his gaze to the sky, a grim smile pulling on his lips. ''The truth, huh?'' he says again, even softer. ''Well, let's hope this 'truth' tells us something about Tsurugi and the others.''

The islander breathes out slowly. ''I'm afraid, Hakuryuu, that this is only the calm before the storm.''

* * *

''We can't go any further than this,'' states Mikado as he stares at the police tape that separates them from the blackened grounds behind it.

The group is currently gathered at the remains of Kanashimi Jr. High. It took them three days before they managed to slip away from their training. Some of the ones who joined them in the beginning 'chickened out' later, as Ueno put it, but have promised to stay silent about their whereabouts, too afraid of the Kanashimi forward to say anything.

The ground beyond the tape is black and grey, a mixture of ash and other burnt remnants of what was once a school.

Ueno tsk'es in annoyance, glancing at the police which can be seen on the scene. From the group's position, they're hidden by the bushes and trees so it won't be easy for the authorities to spot them, but once they leave their natural shelter, they'll be spotted instantly.

''We need to get closer…'' he muses, counting the figures of the policemen and other officials. It seems the investigation is coming to a stop due to a lack of evidence, because there are only six people at the scene.

Raimon's players share a long look. ''But if the authorities can't find anything, why would we be different?'' asks Shinsuke hesitantly, casting another look at the blackened remains.

Ueno turns his venomous purple gaze to the small keeper. ''Yeah, but those bastards don't know that this was the school of a psychopath who has a love for those fucking flowers of his,'' he spats and the Raimon player flinches away. ''Anyway, we still need to get closer-''

A voice cuts him off. ''I don't think so.'' All eyes snap to the owner, who is staring at something a few feet away from the police tape.

''What do you mean?'' Ueno narrows his eyes at Shirosaki.

Hakuren's captain glances at him before nodding in the direction of the remains of the school. ''That.'' Everyone follows his gaze, their eyes immediately drawn to the white that stands out amongst the black. ''That wasn't there when we arrived.''

Ueno narrows his eyes, trying to get a better look at the object. His expression changes into one of shock when he sees a hint of blue on it, and he looks back at the Hakuren captain. ''You sure that wasn't there before?''

Shirosaki nods. ''Absolutely certain. It's in plain view, we would've noticed it immediately.''

The Kanashimi forward nods in understanding. ''We need to get that.'' Then, with another glance at the officers walking around in the distance, he slips under the tape. ''Prepare to run,'' he calls over his shoulder as he sneaks forward, keeping an eye on the policemen and other authorities.

He quickly but quietly crosses the ten-or-so feet to the white object and kneels down a few feet away from it, glancing up at the adults every so often. He's right out into the open now, and while his uniform contains quite some black, it has even more white which makes it stand out among the burned surroundings. The only reason he hasn't been spotted yet is probably because the adults aren't looking his way and because he's kneeling behind a heap of ash, the grey making his uniform blend in just a little bit.

Ueno glances at the letter, which is lying on the top of the heap, as he makes himself as small as possible in order not to be spotted. Then his gaze returns to the authority officers and he waits for the right moment.

When they all seem to be turned away from him, he lashes out, almost like a snake, and snatches the object. He immediately kneels behind the pile of ash again and stays perfectly still.

When nothing happens for a few moments, he risks another glance. Seeing the adults are still occupied, he sprints back and ducks under the tape. A moment later he's hidden by the bushes again, holding up the object with a victorious grin.

Then the grin slinks to a sly smile as his attention turns to the object, which turns out to be a letter with a familiar lotus flower on it. He opens it, taking a slip of paper out. As he reads what's written on it, his eyes narrow.

 **D** _ **oes the pain… ever end?**_

He looks up at the group again. ''We need to show this to my coach immediately,'' he states, uncharacteristically serious.

No one objects.

* * *

''Yuuichi, try to understand-''

The young man narrows his eyes at the male in front of him. The two are sitting in small café in town, having arranged to get a private room so they can talk. ''Gouenji-san,'' says the navy-haired male lowly, ''do not pretend I'm a child. I know very well how dangerous this could be. I know very well what's going on – Kyousuke might want to protect me all the time, but he's learned not to treat me like fragile glass. He has told me quite a lot about this situation. So no matter what you might think, I _do_ understand and I'm not planning to sit back and wait!''

Gouenji pauses for a moment but then sighs softly. ''I'm sorry,'' he apologizes. ''Everything has just been getting out of hand lately and… well, we're not getting anywhere.'' He lets his chin rest on the palm of his hand as he sips from his coffee.

Yuuichi's eyes soften at the exhausted form of the slightly older man. ''I shouldn't have snapped like that, but this is my baby brother we're talking about.''

The white-haired male cracks a smile at that. ''Does your brother know you call him that?''

The oldest of the Tsurugi children laughs softly, with a hint of sadness in it. ''Of course he does. He pretends to hate it, but I think he secretly likes it when I call him that. Unless it's in front of others.'' His smile widens a little. ''But that's why I do it as well. It's fun to mess with him – his reactions are cute.''

Gouenji chuckles a bit. ''I think you'd be the only person who would ever describe Tsurugi Kyousuke as 'cute'.''

''I'm his older brother,'' points Yuuichi out as he sips calmly from his own cup, this one containing water. ''It's my job.''

The ex-Emperor's lips twitch upwards at that before settling into a tired yet calm expression. ''Yuuichi, I know where you're coming from,'' he says, completely serious again. ''I really do. I have a little sister myself and I know what it's like to be an older brother. I'd do anything for Yuuka. But you have to understand, we are doing everything we can but one wrong move and the results could be disastrous,'' he tells the slightly younger man honestly.

The navy-haired young adult nods in understanding yet the look in his eyes is still one of resolve. ''And that's what I want as well – for you all to be careful. But I also won't sit on the sidelines, Gouenji-san, and while I really don't want to cause trouble, I will not simply stop if you tell me to. So it's your choice. Let me help or I'll find my own way.'' His voice is void of any hesitation and Gouenji knows without a doubt that the other won't back down under any circumstances.

Still, he has to try one more time. ''Are you really sure about this?'' Yuuichi nods immediately and the white-haired male grimaces. ''Alright then,'' he finally gives in and the younger male cracks a smile. ''You'll get access to our main base in Teikoku. That's all I can do in the current situation.''

''Thank you,'' says Yuuichi honestly and Gouenji smiles slightly. Then something in the young adult's eyes shifts. ''On another note, I have something else.''

The white-haired man stills in surprise and caution at the younger's expression. ''What is it?'' Yuuichi doesn't verbally answer but instead takes something out of his pocket.

The young man places it on the table. ''I believe this seems familiar, correct?'' he ticks on the blue logo that decorates the white envelope.

Gouenji's eyes widen when he catches sight of the lotus flower. Yuuichi slides the letter over the table to the older man, who takes it and opens it. Inside is one single strip of paper. When Seidouzan's coach takes it out, he spots a small blue lotus flower in the corner of the paper, on which a single sentence is written.

 **S** _ **o much pain… the only thing I know now…**_

The ex-Emperor looks up at Yuuichi, a worried and alarmed frown on his face. ''When did you get this?''

The younger's eyes narrow. ''I was about to leave home to come here, already had the door opened and all, when I realized I forgot my phone. I went back to get it. When I returned and opened the door again, this was lying on the doorsteps and I swear it wasn't there before.''

Gouenji's expression turns blank as he lets his gaze go back to the sentence written on the strip of paper. He's silent for a long while, his eyes clouded over in thought.

Yuuichi doesn't disturb him and instead stares at his water in silence. The tension in the small room is thick yet both don't seem to have any intention of breaking it.

Eventually though, the white-haired man finally addresses the younger man. ''Thank you for showing me this,'' he says, his voice not giving anything away. ''I have a meeting later today and I think it might be a good idea if you come with us.''

* * *

Later that day, Kidou informs all the coaches about his conversation with the Sakaki couple. While they are not happy with their intervention, the other coaches can understand that this was the best arrangement and they move on to other issues.

To say they are surprised by Aphrodi's plan is an understatement, but with a bit of thought they easily can see the logic in it. It takes only a few moments for everyone to agree with the plan and work out the details.

''I have a lot of influence in the soccer world,'' Gouenji tells them. ''I'm the chairman of the Japan Youth Soccer Association – this is one of my projects to begin with and I have the final say in the different divisions. I can also pull a few ties to make it all legal. And besides, all of us have the ability of requesting certain people. If you all put in a request, I can use that as excuse.'' They all agree with that and fall into silence, all thinking about the details that need to be taken care of.

Then Jirou suddenly speaks up, the first thing he's said since the meeting started. ''I have news,'' he says and something in his voice makes all of the other adults quiet down to listen to him. ''Yesterday, one of the managers of my team informed me of something concerning. She had gotten a call from Sakaki's sister, who got a strange letter that morning.''

Everyone stiffens.

''Today, I visited her myself and she gave me the letter. There was a blue lotus flower on it. Even more concerning is the fact that I received an identical letter from the Kanashimi team after I returned,'' speaks Jirou quietly. ''Judging from your expressions, can I guess you have received such letters as well?''

Kidou is the first one to respond. ''My team's captain gave me an identical letter. Apparently it was found in the clubroom yesterday evening, but he hadn't had the chance yet to speak with me.'' He scans the faces of the other coaches. ''Has everyone received such a letter?''

Every coach nods, except for Housuiin. Genei's coach shakes his head at the inquiring looks, signaling he hasn't received anything like that.

Gouenji eventually speaks up. ''The most worrisome is perhaps the timing of the letters. Only thirty minutes before this meeting started did I receive word of such a letter being found inside Seidouzan's clubroom,'' he says. ''I was lucky I hadn't left the building yet or I wouldn't have been able to take a look at it.'' He pauses for a moment before continuing. ''What we must consider as well is that it's not only the coaches who got those letters.'' He nods to the navy-haired man sitting next to him. ''Like Sakaki's sister, he got one as well.''

The young adult nods in greeting. ''My name is Tsurugi Yuuichi and I'm the older brother of one of Raimon's forwards,'' he introduces himself shortly. ''Only a few hours ago, I found a letter on my doorstep after I went inside to get something. However, I'm completely certain it wasn't there before.''

''Hm… it seems that certain individuals are getting letters as well,'' muses Aphrodi out loud. ''That means we have nine letters now, correct?'' While everyone starts to nod, Endou suddenly shakes his head. Kidokawa Seishuu's coach looks at him in surprise. ''Endou?''

The keeper is missing his usual smile. Instead it's replaced by a frown, worry swirling in his dark eyes. Something is clearly bothering him and he stays silent for a while. The others stay silent, almost able to see the gears moving inside his head as he thinks.

Then his eyes light up in realization and his gaze shifts to Housuiin. ''I think I have your letter,'' he says slowly.

Genei's coach raises an eyebrow. ''What exactly do you mean?''

Endou's frown deepens. ''Sakaki's sister got one – for her brother. Kanashimi got one for that defender of theirs. Kidokawa got one, for Kishibe. Hakuren for Yukimura. Teikoku for Miyabino. Arakumo for Amemiya. Seidouzan for Kurosaki.''

The other coaches stay silent as he says this, clearly realizing he's onto something. Once he pauses, however, Karibe raises an eyebrow. ''Alright, but why would you have Genei's letter? And why did you deny that we have nine letters?''

Raimon's coach takes a while to answer, still musing over something. ''The thing is, Raimon got one letter as well, but…'' he hesitates and bites his lip for a moment. ''Several of my players received letters too.'' At the shocked looks from the other coaches, he takes something out of his pocket and lays it on the table. At a closer look the something is revealed to be a bunch of very familiar letters. ''Kariya, Sangoku, Aoi and Amagi got one, along with Raimon's letter, which makes five.'' He gestures towards the five letters in front of him.

That's when Kidou catches on. ''That makes thirteen letters in total and there are thirteen missing players.'' The eyes of the other coaches widen in realization.

Endou nods. ''Exactly. Like I said before, all teams – except Genei – got one letter for their missing player, along with Sakaki's sister and Yuuichi for their respective brothers. Then we have a letter from Kariya, which could be for either Hikaru or Kirino. The letter from Sangoku is probably Shindou or Kirino. Aoi's letter is obviously Tenma, and Amagi is the childhood friend of Genei's captain.''

The rest nods in agreement, not finding any flaws in that logic. They are convinced even more when Jirou quietly comments on the keeper's words. ''That sounds like something Kazuo would do. Making a game out of it and manipulating us as pawns.''

''But what does it mean?'' the question is asked by Sakuma, the first time he speaks up during the meeting. When all eyes move to him, the white-haired man elaborates. ''Why would he send us thirteen letters, which probably… represent the thirteen missing players, when it doesn't mean anything?''

''You're right about that,'' agrees Kidou a moment later, his arms crossed in front of his chest as his thoughts race around, trying to come up with a logical explanation. ''Ishikawa is a genius, there's no denying that. Simply sending us letters, even if they're to mock us, doesn't seem like something he would do. He'd probably hide something, a hidden clue, in there, believing we won't find it until it's too late.''

Jirou shakes his head at that. ''I'm not sure about that,'' he tells the game maker. ''Kazuo likes to manipulate people, yes, but he's not the characteristic cartoon villain who drops clues. Unless he's completely certain we won't figure it out or if he's in one of his crazy moods.''

''You don't seem to think it's the last option,'' states Fubuki, surprising them when they realize he's there as well, having kept to the background during the whole meeting.

The sky blue-haired man locks eyes with Hakuren's coach and nods. ''Kazuo is mentally unstable but those experiments are his life's work. He wouldn't risk it even if he's not thinking clearly,'' he confirms Fubuki's words.

Karibe raises her eyebrow. ''What about the first one, then?''

Kanashimi's coach frowns in thought. ''That's possible, but there's one very big thing we're forgetting.'' At the questioning looks, he explains. ''Remember, I'm his _twin._ He might have hidden thinks from me, and I might have trouble figuring him out lately, but our minds work the same way and I've known him my entire life. It just… doesn't add up.'' A flash of sadness shoots through his sapphire orbs, so fast the others can almost swear they imagined it. ''But just sending this without reason isn't something he'd do either. So there's probably a hidden clue…'' his voice shows he doesn't believe his own words.

For a moment all is silent, until Jirou's eyes widen in realization. ''Unless it's a warning!''

''A warning?'' repeats Endou, obviously confused. ''Why would he send us a warning?''

But Aphrodi seems to have caught on for he's the one to answer. ''A warning that something is about to happen. It's probably hidden well enough that we won't figure it out until just before it, whatever that might be, happens. A way to mock us, to show us that even with the knowledge we can't do anything,'' he says softly, his voice just above a whisper.

The atmosphere is grim as his words echo in everyone's minds. The silence doesn't last long before Fubuki suggests everyone to show their letters. A minute later, thirteen strips of paper are lying on the table. All have a single sentence on them together with a small logo of a blue lotus flower.

Everything is silent again as they all try to find a hidden warning in the single sentences. Eventually, Sakuma breaks the heavy silence. ''Alright. The sooner we figure this out, the better. Does anyone have any ideas?''

Various theories and possibilities are told, yet they don't work or Jirou denies them. Once they're all out of ideas again, the hacker breaks the silence. ''Kazuo keeps it simple. It's genius, really – he hides it in a way that a child could understand, but it's hidden so well it's always overlooked. Like… arranged at a certain color, or a certain sentence structure…'' he frowns. ''What's weird though, is this one.'' He picks up one of the letters and shows it to the others. The only thing on the paper, besides the lotus flower, is a single dot.

 _ **.**_

The others nod in agreement, falling back into their thoughts. They all try to think about a possible solution, but eventually they have to admit defeat. There are other duties that need their attention for now.

* * *

''Mannouzaka's having a match tomorrow.'' Hiroto's voice breaks through the peaceful atmosphere that has taken over the Teikoku headquarters.

Endou glances up from where he's staring at the thirteen letters, just like most others who are currently working in the main base. Seeing as the redhead is addressing the Raimon coach, they quickly go back to work.

The keeper raises an eyebrow. ''Okay…?''

Hiroto smiles, a hint of bitterness in it. ''Funny how the rest of the world seems to continue like nothing's changed, right?''

Endou nods, finally catching on to his friend's thoughts. ''Yeah…'' he agrees softly. ''Who's their opponent?''

The redhead shrugs. ''Not sure, some no-name team which I don't remember. Kind of a gloomy name though… some 'vain' thing,'' he answers the question absentmindedly, spotting something on his computer which interests him, clearly done with the conversation.

Endou freezes.

''What?''

Hiroto glances up, frowning in concern when he sees Endou's wide eyes. ''Are you okay?''

His ex-captain doesn't answer him though, as he turns his attention back to the table in front of him. His redheaded friend becomes only more worried when he sees the coach pale. ''Endou, what's wrong?''

Some of the other people present have noticed Hiroto's worried voice by now as well in the silence of the main base. Gouenji and Kidou, who were talking on the other side of the room, join their friends, growing worried once they see how pale Endou looks.

''Hiroto, look up the information for that match.'' Everyone listening to the conversation are shocked to hear the forceful authority in the coach's voice, something that is incredibly rare for Endou. Hiroto doesn't question him and does as ordered.

The keeper himself is shuffling the strips of paper in front of him, his eyes scanning them for only a second before moving onto the next one.

''Mannouzaka Jr. High against…'' Hiroto pauses here to read the name of the other name just as Endou's hands still.

''Vain Delusion…''

The redhead looks up when he hears his ex-captain's voice. ''Endou? How did you know-'' he cuts himself off when he sees the keeper's grim expression, his eyes focused on the strips of paper in front of him.

''The first letter of every sentence.'' Raimon's coach locks eyes with Gouenji and Kidou. ''That's what it spells. 'Vain Delusion'. The dot was actually a space.'' He then looks at Hiroto again. ''That's the team, right? The team Mannouzaka is playing against…''

The redhead nods, already understanding that something is amiss. ''Yes.''

Endou gathers the strips of paper. He rises and makes his way to the door, gesturing for Gouenji and Kidou to follow him. A few minutes later they return to the meeting room, where the other coaches are still lingering.

The moment they catch sight of his dark expression and the strips of paper in his hands, they are all business. ''Endou, what did you find?'' asks Jirou instantly.

Raimon's coach places the strips on the table, sliding them in the right order again. ''I figured it out. When placed in the correct order – the order in which they were delivered – they spell the words 'Vain Delusion'.'' He doesn't look up as he addresses the room.

The other coaches share a look, except Gouenji and Kidou who have already caught on. ''And?'' asks Housuiin. ''What about it?''

Endou's voice is uncharacteristically grim when he answers. ''Mannouzaka is about to have a match against a team named Vain Delusion.'' Dark eyes finally look up at the room as he speaks his next words.

''Vain Delusion is Ishikawa's new team.''

* * *

 **Muhahahaha~ :D**

 **Guys, that was the hint in the first chapter. Vain Delusion. Like the name? It took me a while to come up with it.**

 **So, Aphrodi's plan is a go~ wouldn't you like to know what it is~?**

* * *

 **ONE IMPORTANT THING: this is set after Galaxy, in which we can clearly see Yuuichi with crutches – meaning, he already had the surgery for his legs. This is set one or two months after that, SO HE CAN WALK. Hopefully this will keep people from saying Yuuichi can't walk… cause, by the power of logic, in this story he can!**

* * *

 **Eh, no one figured out the hint in chapter two! I know someone figured out the hint in the first chapter, because she's someone I have contact with on Wattpad and she told me there, but chapter two seems to still be a mystery…**

 **Then what about the hint in chapter three? This one is even less noticeable~**

 **Anyway, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight~! (or whatever greeting is appropriate in your country)**

 **\- Yara Meijer**

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 **Again: READ ABOVE FOR THE REASON YUUICHI CAN WALK**

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 **Seriously don't go telling me he can't.**

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 **Because in this story he can.**

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 **Now, on more time…**

 **.**

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 **YUUICHI**

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 **CAN**

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 **WALK**

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 **SEE**

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 **ABOVE**

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 **Thank you :)**

 **Now, until next chapter~!**


	4. The Devil Within

***peeks around corner* Hello?**

 **Um... sorry this is so late... I had a writer's block. A bad one. I'm really, really, _really,_ sorry and I'd like to apologize some more, but it's almost 23:30 here and I have school tomorrow. So, I'll just go on to the reviews right now.**

 _ **Coco Baldwin:**_ **I'm glad you like it so much~!**

 _ **himekuroyuki853:**_ **Yep, Yuuichi can walk~ I'm glad you like it and sorry for the wait!**

 _ **Aquila Aqua:**_ **I'm happy you enjoy it and sorry it took so long... :(**

 _ **BlackCloud11234:**_ **Don't worry about not being able to find the clues, I've forgotten most of them too XD Well, I certainly took my time uploading, dind't I...? Ehehe...**

 _ **Eme Hire:**_ **I did! I think. I forgot. Oh, wait, you never sent it in the first place. Don't blame me if you forget to send a review in the first place, Yaa-chan!**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Uh... Kya?**

 _ **IeGbestfriend:**_ ***peeks around corner* hi... Yep, you spelt Kazuo right. What do you think of the name Vain Delusion? Endou's reasoning is explained here. Gouenji is white-haired in my stories, deal with it. For your question about why Endou didn't recognize Jirou the first time Kanashimi and Raimon played each other, well, it's been a decade and he's seen him _once._ I'd be pretty impressed if Endou had such an amazing memory. No, the clue wasn't in the Yuuichi-can-walk thing, I just wanted to make sure no one would say he couldn't~! But don't worry, I forgot what the clue was!**

 _ **StarBrightZorua:**_ **Nope, everyone recognizes them, but more of that in the next chapter. I'm glad you liked the previous chapter, though, and I hope you enjoy this one as well (if you ever read this)!**

 _ **NoLife-sama:**_ ***hangs head in shame* I took so long... I'm sorry... I'm happy you like the name Vain Delusion though, took me a long time to come up with it!**

 _ **Misty:**_ **Wouldn't you like to know~?**

 _ **NightTide:**_ **I'm so sorry for the wait... I hope you enjoy this chapter, though!**

 _ **AA:**_ **Yeah, he is. He's not the idiot some people make him out to be.**

 _ **Wow wanna:**_ **I have time, just no inspiration...**

 _ **AniSeanna:**_ **Yep, just had to get over my writer's block! Thanks for the compliments, I'm happy you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: don't own!**

 **Again, I am _so sorry_ for the wait. But wait no longer, for here is, finally, chapter four of Still!  
**

* * *

 _Endou gathers the strips of paper. He rises and makes his way to the door, gesturing for Gouenji and Kidou to follow him. A few minutes later they return to the meeting room, where the other coaches are still lingering._

 _The moment they catch sight of his dark expression and the strips of paper in his hands, they are all business. ''Endou, what did you find?'' asks Jirou instantly._

 _Raimon's coach places the strips on the table, sliding them in the right order again. ''I figured it out. When placed in the correct order – the order in which they were delivered – they spell the words 'Vain Delusion'.'' He doesn't look up as he addresses the room._

 _The other coaches share a look, except Gouenji and Kidou who have already caught on. ''And?'' asks Housuiin. ''What about it?''_

 _Endou's voice is uncharacteristically grim when he answers. ''Mannouzaka is about to have a match against a team named Vain Delusion.'' Dark eyes finally look up at the room as he speaks his next words._

 _''Vain Delusion is Ishikawa's new team.''_

* * *

I'm Underneath Your Skin, The Devil Within

* * *

Isozaki Kenma smiles at his team, something he wouldn't have done only half a year ago, as they wait for their opponents to arrive. ''Okay guys, this is an unknown team but that doesn't mean we can underestimate them, got it?''

The players nod in understanding. Their coach, Kuroba Noboru, gives the captain an approving look. Isozaki's smile widens at that – it was hard after their old coach installed by Fifth Sector, Yorozuya, was fired, but coach Kuroba has really helped their team with creating their own real soccer.

Busujima, his best friend, frowns. ''Though, what's up with their name? 'Vain Delusion'? That's not a school name, is it?'' he asks.

Their keeper shakes his head. ''No, apparently it's a team outside of school activities,'' he says. ''But you're right, it's kind of… eerie.'' The rest of Mannouzaka nods in agreement, some uncomfortable looks on their faces.

Isozaki is about to reassure them when the chatter of the audience dies down suddenly. The captain frowns in confusion at the strange silence, but grows alarmed when he sees the shocked expressions on his teammates' faces, looking at something behind him.

He whips around to look at the cause of the complete and utter silence in a stadium filled with people. What he sees causes his mouth to fall open in shock, for their opponents have finally arrived.

* * *

''How did you figure it out?''

Endou looks up and meets Kidou's eyes at the sudden question. Teikoku's commander seems tense, but that is to be expected, considering their current situation. ''What do you mean?''

His friend frowns. ''The letters. How did you, of all people, figure it out? No offense,'' clarifies the Teikoku coach.

His ex-captain sighs and adjusts his bright orange headband a bit. ''Well, it's probably because I got more letters,'' he responds after a moment of thought. ''I thought it was odd, that the letters were delivered to different people, but the thing that really stood out to me was the timing.''

''The timing?'' asks Gouenji, looking away from the window of the car and instead shifting his focus to his best friend. ''What about it?''

''Well…'' Endou frowns. ''Some of the letters were delivered yesterday and others only a few hours ago. Yuuichi mentioned that his letter suddenly appeared on his doorstep in the few minutes he went inside. Why go through the risks of being caught, if they could've done it any other time?''

''True,'' agrees Kidou. They fall into silence as the car speeds through the streets, getting closer to their destination with every passing minute.

After a while, though, Raimon's coach speaks again. ''Do you think Jirou and the others can handle the teams?''

For the first time since he stepped into the car, Sakuma opens his mouth to say something. ''We can't be sure,'' he says grimly. ''If Vain Delusion really does have a link with Ishikawa, who knows how they'll react.'' He doesn't look away from the road as he answers.

Endou bites his lip and frowns. ''Aren't you worried that maybe…'' he trails off hesitantly and both Kidou and Gouenji shoot him a look.

''That what?'' asks Seidouzan's coach, turning to face his friend fully when Raimon's coach keeps his gaze down. ''Endou?''

The dark-haired male sighs. ''What if the missing players are there? What if they're the members of Vain Delusion?'' he asks finally, a hint of his uncertainty showing through his voice.

Sakuma tightens his grip on the steering wheel, while a frown contorts Kidou's features and Gouenji places a supporting hand on Endou's shoulder. ''It's possible,'' says Seidouzan's coach softly. ''But we also know that Tenma and the others wouldn't work with Ishikawa like that, so if they do…''

''…something serious must've happened,'' finishes Kidou darkly. ''It means they're playing against their will. And if that's the case, we can find out what happened and save them.''

''We have to,'' agrees Sakuma, and only the fire in his eyes breaks his calm façade.

Gouenji nods, his dark eyes locked onto Endou's. He squeezes the older man's shoulder gently. ''I know you want to save them, Endou. We all do. You're not alone in this.''

The Raimon coach spares him a fleeting smile. ''Thanks, Gouenji.''

''Anytime.''

* * *

Yuuichi is speechless as he watches the large screen.

After the more than worrying discovery, Endou, Gouenji, Kidou and Sakuma immediately left for the stadium in order to view the match live, while the other coaches have worked on setting up a screen to watch it on. All the teams have gathered at the field of Paradise Stadium in order to watch the game.

No one is saying anything, too shaken to do anything more than stare. Despite the sweat dripping down his face, Yuuichi feels ice cold. He tries to swallow, but his mouth is completely dry.

''T-this is…''

He isn't sure who breaks the silence and he doesn't turn around to find out, his eyes glued to the screen.

It's a slaughter.

* * *

The whole stadium is stunned into silence at the scene on the field below. No one can tear their gazes away, too terrified and shaken to do anything but watch.

Endou is holding the railings so tightly that the skin of his hands is turning white. Like everyone else, he's entrained by the horrifying game playing on the field only a few meters below him. Next to him, Kidou, Gouenji and Sakuma are in similar states.

The people at the two benches couldn't be more different. On one side, the one belonging to Mannouzaka, the benched players are as horrified as the rest of the stadium. On the other side, there are only two people. A coach, and one extra player, both as calm and nonchalant as if they were just watching TV.

And on the field, the players, one team clad in dark blue, the other in grey. The ones in dark blue are unmoving, the ones in grey standing emotionlessly. Even the referee is frozen in shock, staring at two teams and a ruined field.

The silence is heavy and tense, almost as if the world is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing does.

* * *

Isozaki, despite the pain, lifts his head and opens his eyes.

His team is scattered around him, covered in bruises and other injuries he doesn't even want to think about. He's not sure if any of them are conscious, but if they are, they are most likely too exhausted to open their eyes again, forget about standing up.

He catches sight of their opponents, their familiar faces completely blank and void of life. They're all standing unnaturally still and straight. They are dressed in a light grey shirt with light blue lines and a darker, blueish grey color, blueish grey shorts, light grey socks and blueish grey shoes.

The most noticeable, however, are their eyes. The sclera couldn't be farther from their usual white, instead a pitch black.

''W-why…'' there is so much he wants to ask, but the words won't form. Why are they doing this? What happened to them? Why did they leave their teams?

No answers are given. The players' stares are heavy, void of any emotion and light. Mocking, taunting, jeering, as if telling him to accept reality and that it's useless to pretend things are different.

Vain Delusion, indeed.

* * *

Back at the Teikoku headquarters, Hiroto is working rapidly in order to create a file of all information they have on Vain Delusion. Only a moment later, Jirou joins him without saying a word. Once Midorikawa notices what they are doing, he starts helping them as well, his lips pulled down grimly.

Hiroto, having just filled in 'Nagao Shouta' as their coach, hesitates for a single moment before filling in the names of the players.

Mizuno Hisao.

Miyabino Reiichi.

Mahoro Tadashi.

Kishibe Taiga.

Yukimura Hyuoga.

Kurosaki Makoto.

Kageyama Hikaru.

Kirino Ranmaru.

Amemiya Taiyou.

Shindou Takuto.

Tsurugi Kyousuke.

Sakaki Haruki.

Matsukaze Tenma.

Hiroto casts another look at the screen that is showing the match – if you can call it that – between Vain Delusion and Mannouzaka, balling his fists for a moment at the sight of the latter, and saves the change he made.

* * *

Kazuo watches the hologram which shows the match between Vain Delusion and Mannouzaka intently from his new office. It's much like the old one – made of dark, blueish metal and large enough that the walls are covered in shadows. His desk is standing in the middle, a few holograms floating above it, but there are only two that are of any interest to him at the moment.

He clicks his tongue as he watches how Yukimura makes another goal, pulling the score to 16-0 in Vain Delusion's favor. ''How I wish I could be there…'' he mutters softly, his eyes drifting to the coach of his masterpiece.

'' _Patience is a virtue,''_ says a male voice, drifting from a second hologram that says **SOUND ONLY**. _''Nagao will handle it. For now, you must stay hidden. No one can know about your survival.''_

The sky-haired man sighs. ''I know, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it,'' he answers, keeping his eyes on the form of Vain Delusion's coach. ''Are you certain Nagao is qualified for this job?''

The voice chuckles. _''Do not concern yourself with that. Nagao might not be as smart as you and me, but he certainly has his own sort of genius. He is the perfect choice for keeping the subjects in line.''_

Kazuo nods, despite knowing that the other man can't see him. ''I'll take your word for it,'' he amends. ''On another note, though, have you received the documents I sent you?''

'' _I have,''_ answers the voice, a hint of satisfaction in his tone. _''It was better than I could've hoped for. The results are certainly satisfactory.''_ Kazuo allows a hint of a smile to curl on his lips, when the voice continues. _''As for now, I want you to keep assessing the subjects progress. Furthermore, I want you to take a look at this.''_

A moment later, a hologram appears right in front of Kazuo. The man scans the words written on it, frowning the further he reads.

''Project Storage Cell?'' He's not sure what to expect from this sudden change in topic. ''Another experiment?'' there's too much to read at once and his attention is pulled to one small detail. ''It completed almost thirty years ago. What is this?''

'' _Do you see the list of names?''_ asks the other man instead of answering his question.

Kazuo blinks but continues scrolling down until he finds it. There are exactly thirty-two names, all red with the exception of fourteen, which are in black. ''What are they?'' he asks as he scans the list again, realizing that all names are female.

The voice takes a moment to answer, apparently thinking of a way to state it. _''They're the names of the test subjects.''_ He pauses for a moment and fourteen smaller holograms pop up, profiles of the black names, complete with pictures. _''These are the few girls who survived the initial treatment.''_ Some of the pictures have a red cross over it and they disappear, leaving only five holograms. _''As time went on, more of them perished.''_

Kazuo isn't sure what to think of this story. ''Why are you telling me this? What does this project have to do with our current one?''

The voice laughs. _''As I said before, patience is a virtue,''_ he taunts. _''As I was saying, only these five girls survived,''_ he continues as if the other man didn't interrupt him. _''Two of them ended in failure at the end. Another one committed suicide after she was freed. The fourth one vowed to never bear the fruits of the experiment and has since lived a normal life. The last, however…''_

Three of the holograms disappear, leaving only the profiles of a brunette and a blonde girl. Kazuo scans the information on both of them, his eyebrows rising in surprise the more he reads.

'' _Dear Ai accepted the risks,''_ continues the voice, a mix of cruel delight and satisfaction tinting his tone. _''From the thirty-two subjects, she is the only one who completed it. She believed that the police got rid of me and so took the chance. Unfortunately for her, she was wrong.''_ He chuckles. _''Now she's married with one child. I want you to get her.''_

''What?'' Kazuo isn't sure if he heard it correctly; certainly he must've mistaken the words.

However, the other man proves him wrong. _''You heard me. We need her again. It shouldn't be too hard to get her – we have her address. It'll be just a quick visit. We will delete her memories after we're done.''_

The sky blue-haired man straightens at those words. ''Deleting her memories- is it really worth it? It could have lasting damage.''

'' _It is,''_ says the voice immediately. _''I will be there personally in order to monitor the process. There is no other option, her involvement is inevitable. As you can see in her profile, I have tried to estimate her power levels over the years, but it's too much of a gamble. We need to test it again.''_

Kazuo nods slowly. ''I understand,'' he finally gives in. ''However, if I may ask… why did she survive? What made her stand out from the other girls?''

The answer follows instantly. _''Survival of the fittest. Her body merely adjusted to the treatment the best. However, it's still an outside force. It's not as great as it can be. Even so, she was careless and completed the experiment, which means that if it succeeded, we now have a perfect storage cell at our disposal.''_

''Very well. I will arrange a meeting with her before the day ends.''

The voice sounds pleased. _''Good.''_

* * *

When Shindou becomes aware of himself, the first thing he notices is the pounding headache.

He'd groan if he wasn't so sure it would only worsen the pain, so instead he stays silent and tries to access his situation.

The second thing he becomes aware of is the cold. It seeps through his skin and into his bones, giving him goosebumps. The floor he's lying on – for it is so hard that it must be a floor – is made of what feels like metal, smooth and cold. No light falls on his eyelids, so that means it's dark around him.

And then he hears it.

Breathing.

He's not alone.

At that realization, he cracks his eyes open. Just as he expected, it's almost completely dark in the room, for which he is thankful. Light would surely make his head hurt worse right now.

He can barely make out the ceiling and instead focusses on his hearing. There are other people in the room, he's sure of it. Carefully he turns his head to the side, trying to get a look at his companions.

The game maker squeezes his eyes shut as a flash of white hot agony shoots through his head at the movement, lying still while it fades away. When the pain is at a more bearable level, he carefully opens his eyes again.

It takes a moment, but then he can make out the lumps beside him. In the darkness he barely catches the face of Kirino, but he does, and with that the inevitable worry.

The teenager carefully pushes himself in a sitting position, gasping at the anguish in his head and sliding over to the wall so that he can lean against it. He fights the nausea that is threatening to overpower him, clamping a hand over his lips and taking deep breaths.

Eventually it dies down and he opens his eyes again, this time able to get a good look at his surroundings.

It's another metal room, but not the cell they were in first. It's bigger and there's a little more light, enough that he can see the unconscious forms of the other soccer players.

Worry courses through his veins and he counts them quickly. A sigh of relief escapes his lips when he realizes that all twelve are there. He watches them for any sign of consciousness, but none come.

That's when he sees it.

Whereas at first they all wore the jerseys of their respective teams, now they're all dressed in a different uniform. He can't make out the colors in the darkness, only that it consists out of a light shirt and darker shorts.

He remembers being led to a small dressing room and forced to change into the new uniform – grey and blue, he realizes, but after that, everything is blank.

Shindou scans the other teenagers again, but nothing has changed in the thirty seconds he wasn't watching them. None of them are any closer to waking, but at least it seems that no one is hurt.

With that reassurance, he allows himself to slump against the wall and close his eyes. Luckily the headache has mostly subsided, but now he can feel the exhaustion. His limps feel like lead, as if he's ran ten kilometers all at once, and his throat is dry and scratchy. What he wouldn't do to have some water right now.

The soreness leads his mind back to the questions from before. _'What happened? Why can't I remember anything? What did Ishikawa do to us this time?'_

That last question causes the nausea from before to return and he tries to swallow, but his throat is too dry. Instead he chokes on a harsh cough and forces himself to breathe deeply.

Tears burn behind his closed eyelids, but he forces them away. How long has it been since they were taken from their teams? How long have they been enduring this torture?

It's hard on all of them. Shindou can't help but feel useless every time one of them is returned from a 'session', wishing he could do something to relieve their pain. Especially for his own teammates. Kirino can handle himself, he knows, but the others are only first-years.

Tsurugi might put up a tough front all the time, admittedly very mature for his age, but he's still only thirteen and the bags under his eyes are a clear indication that he isn't dealing with this as well as he'd like people to believe. Hikaru, as well, tries to stay optimistic in order to keep them from worrying, but Shindou has seen the way he doubles over in pain when he thinks no one is looking. Lastly, Tenma is mostly quiet, and it's disconcerting.

Usually Shindou can read his captain pretty well – the brunet is so open with his emotions that it's not hard to figure out. But ever since they were taken from the stadium, he's been quiet and his face is hidden by a mask. The game maker has noticed the way the brunet is drawn to his redheaded bond mate. The two bonded often hold mental conversations and curl up next to each other whenever they have time to rest.

Even now, the two of them are lying beside each other. Tenma's hand is loosely clutching Haru's wrist, while the redhead has one arm slung over his bonded's back, their foreheads almost touching. Another thing Raimon's game maker has noticed. The two seem to support each other through physical touch. When he asked about it a few days ago – or is it hours? – they admitted that the physical contact is reassuring for them both.

While his logical side tells him it's unneeded, Shindou also can't help but worry about Kirino. His best friend is stronger than you would believe at first glance, but the game maker is still consumed by concern. He isn't used to seeing the pink-haired defender so weak and exhausted.

He tries to be strong for all of them. Tenma might be the captain, the light of their team, but they can't ask him to be strong all the time. Shindou has been willing to take charge whenever the brunet seems to collapse under all the pressure and the whole team is fine with that. Tenma might be their captain, but he's still a child and it was never their intention to take that careless optimism away from him.

Even so, the wavy-haired midfielder can feel the stress pushing down on him. He wants- no, he _has_ to be strong for his friends, but he's getting closer to his breaking point. After every session with Ishikawa, the only thing he wants to do is curl up and give in to the pain, but he never does. If he did, it would mean giving up.

He can't let his friends see him like that. They depend on him to be strong, to have their backs and to assure them that everything will be alright, but he can't do that if he allows himself to show weakness. He knows Kirino has noticed – his best friend has always been able to detect when he puts too much stress on himself – but this time, there's nothing the pink-haired teen can do about it.

Shindou doesn't realize he's crying until he feels the wet drops on his arms.

He doesn't try to wipe them away. He's too tired, and besides, no one is awake to see it. So, for a single moment, he allows himself to give in to his weakness and fear.

He's not sure how much time passes, but he's shocked out of his thoughts when one of the others moves. The game maker wipes at his eyes, trying to get rid of any evidence that he was crying, but the traitorous tears just keep coming.

Dread settles in his stomach when a soft voice rings out through the silent cell. ''Shindou?'' he easily recognizes Kirino's voice. It doesn't seem like the defender has noticed his tears yet and the playmaker tries to say something to reassure him, but the only thing that leaves his lips is a choked sob. ''S-Shindou…?'' Kirino's voice is now tinted with unhidden concern for his friend.

Shindou tries to stifle his sobs with his hand, but it's no use. Now that he's crying, he can't stop.

Kirino doesn't hesitate and carefully moves over to him. Once he has reached his best friend, the defender leans heavily on the wall, gasping for air through the pain coursing through his veins. Despite that, he doesn't hesitate to wrap an arm around Shindou's shoulders.

''Let it out,'' he whispers softly, sadness evident in his tone. ''You don't have to be strong all the time, you know? I'm not the only who thinks that. Tsurugi, Hikaru, Tenma… we don't expect you to be strong all the time. This is hard on all of us.''

Shindou pulls his legs closer to his chest and hides his face in his hands, his breathing ragged and sobs wracking his frame. Kirino rubs circles on his back, biting his lip and letting a few tears of his own roll down his face. While he hates seeing his friend break down like this, he's also a little grateful. The game maker is stubborn and would've gone on until he collapsed under all the stress if he was left to it. The defender has been trying to help him, but nothing he has done so far had any effect.

He's pretty sure he knows what set this reaction off. Whenever Shindou gets like this, trying to force himself to carry too much responsibility, his biggest enemy is himself. If he's left on his own, he'll overthink everything and wear himself out, usually leading to an emotional breakdown like this one.

The two friends sit there for an unknown period of time. Eventually Shindou stops crying, drying his face and simply relaxing against the wall. He doesn't say anything but lets their shoulders sag against each other, and that's enough.

Eventually, the silence is broken when some of the others start to stir. It doesn't take long for both Kurosaki and Mahoro to wake up, obviously having the same headache and physical exhaustion as Kirino and Shindou. They exchange a few words, making sure the others aren't seriously injured and realizing all of them have gaps in their memory.

Before they can continue talking, however, the others start to wake up as well. Luckily, no one seems to be hurt and they're all a strange sort of calm. That changed, however, when Tenma wakes up.

The minute the brunet opens his eyes, he instantly sits up. He doubles over in pain and Shindou and Kirino are by his side a second later, watching him worriedly. ''Take it easy,'' warns the defender, concern evident in his voice.

''What's wrong?'' asks the game maker gently.

Before Tenma can respond, Haru wakes up as well, having been disturbed by the brunet's movement. The redhead seems dazed for a moment, but then his eyes widen and he moves to sit up just like his bonded only a few seconds before.

He gasps in pain but seems to ignore it, instead reaching out for Tenma. His bond mate meets him halfway, grasping his hand tightly. For a second nothing happens and then both of them sigh in relief.

''Tenma? Sakaki?'' asks Shindou and two pair of orange and grey eyes turn to look at him. ''What's wrong?''

They share a look. Haru is the one who answers. ''Our bond, it…''

''…was gone,'' finishes Tenma, their timing perfect. ''For a moment, we couldn't…''

The redhead continues for him, making it look as easy as breathing to finish the brunet's sentence. ''…feel it clearly, as if it was dimmed.''

As freaked out he is by the synchronization of their words, Shindou focusses on what they told him. He wants to say something but he has no idea what, and instead settles on watching the two of them interact silently. It's fascinating to see them communicate, holding a silent conversation only they can hear.

It doesn't take long before everyone has woken up. Before they can discuss their memory gaps, however, a hologram suddenly lights up one of the walls.

Shindou squeezes his eyes shut against the bright light. From the groans of the other soccer players, he gathers that he's not the only one being bothered by it.

After a few moments, his eyes adjust to the sudden light and he opens them, looking curiously at the screen. He instantly makes out a soccer field, but the familiarity is replaced by dread once he sees the state of it.

It's completely ruined.

Chunks of earth are spread over the grass, the small craters disrupting the field most likely the source.

The dread in Shindou's stomach turns to nausea once again when he takes in the rest of the scene.

People, teenagers, are scattered over the field, bruised and beaten up, dressed in the familiar, dark uniform of Mannouzaka. Despite their injuries, they struggle to stand up again.

And then he sees it.

Their opponents, dressed in grey and blue jerseys. Their expressions are blank and the sclera of their eyes are an unnatural black. One of them – a forward with bright orange hair – is in possession of the ball. Calmly, he turns to one of the players of the opposite team that is struggling to stand up again, and shoots.

The Mannouzaka player is hit right in the stomach and is thrown a few feet back, falling onto the ground and clutching his abdomen.

Taiyou chokes on something that sounds suspiciously like a sob.

They all watch in horror as Mannouzaka's players are knocked down one by one with tremendous force. Once all of them are down, their opponents focus on the goal, where the keeper is barely keeping himself standing on shaking legs.

The ball is shot by Mahoro, hitting the keeper forcefully and throwing him against the net. The whistle blows, signaling another point made, and Mannouzaka's keeper crumbles to the ground.

The commentator's voice comes from the screen. _''G-goal! 12-0 for Vain Delusion!''_ the horror in his tone is impossible to miss. _''This is an absolutely slaughter! None of the Mannouzaka players are moving anymore!''_

''I- I can't watch this,'' chokes Taiyou, tears already streaming down his face after only having seen a few minutes of the game.

The sentiment is shared by all of them, but they can't tear their eyes away from the evil versions of themselves on the screen. ''What _happened?''_ breathes Kishibe, summing up all of their thoughts.

''Why- why can't we r-remember this?'' stutters Hikaru, his voice shaking and tears gathering in his eyes.

Mizuno's answer is grim. ''Ishikawa,'' he says, his voice soft but clear in the silence of the metal source. ''He must be behind this.''

''What did he do to us?''chokes Miyabino, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

On the screen, their other selves – _Vain Delusion_ – mercilessly knocks down Mannouzaka once again, deaf to their screams of pain as they continue to ruthlessly dominate the match, if it can even be called that.

If he had anything in his stomach, Shindou is sure he'd have thrown up by now. Instead, his eyes are glued to the screen, horror filling every fiber of his being as he stares at the dark, unforgiving eyes of the other him.

''What have we _done?''_

* * *

 **Well, that was that. I hope it was satisfactory? Probably not, considering how long it's been...**

 **I'm sorry, again.**

 **Anyway, I'll keep it short and go to bed now because I'm ready to collapse. G'night and until next chapter, which will hopefully not take as long as this one~!**

 **\- Yara Meijer**


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